A new study reports a high rate of past traumatic brain injury within incarcerated individuals, surpassing rates found in previous studies, which also reported a high correlation. Students from the University of Denver screened inmates from a “high-risk” ward in which they had been labeled as dangers to themselves or others based on their behavior. Previously, studies reported that the majority of American prison inmates sustained traumatic head injuries. In the current study, nearly all inmates screened reported a history of traumatic brain injury. Press coverage of the study reports, “Nearly every inmate screened — 96 percent — had a traumatic brain injury. That’s significantly higher than national statistics showing 67 percent to 80 percent of inmates in jails and prisons have a traumatic brain injury, and far higher than the estimated six percent to 8.5 percent of the general population.” This study has led to a regional treatment program with the Colorado Brain Injury Program, spanning 14 prisons, with the goal of treating relevant symptoms of brain injury, which are commonly found in hostile inmates. Traumatic brain injury has previously been proven to be a major risk factor for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, aggressive behavior, substance abuse and homelessness — it’s also linked to criminal behavior because it can, in some people, alter their behavior and lead to increased aggression after an injury. To learn more about this study, click here.