Graduation Year

2021

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Biological and Physical Sciences

Program or Major

Biology with Concentration in Neuroscience and Behavior

Faculty Advisor

Nicolas Lessios-Damerow

Abstract

The United States currently has over 2 million people residing in prisons and jails across the country (Bronson & Carson, 2019; Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2009). The current literature review aims to study the prevalence of brain injuries across these imprisoned populations. The results of this review can have serious implications in law, medicine, and rehabilitation services. A traumatic brain injury can have significant influence over criminal justice procedures including ability to stand trial and proper sentencing depending on the timing and intensity of the offense. In addition, TBI prison prevalence could be implicated with the future of medicine and treatment protocols for individuals who suffer head trauma. Finally, the discussion of head injuries in prison populations leads to the need for analysis of proper rehabilitation services for TBI victims and of protocols for societal reintegration of those released from prison with such injuries. By studying the prevalence of traumatic brain injury in imprisoned communities, one can gain a deeper understanding of the problems that are closely intertwined with such important health issues.

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