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Published on: January 20, 2023
Association between traumatic brain injury and incarceration: a population-based cohort study
Kathryn E McIsaac1, Andrea Moser1, Rahim Moineddin1
1Dalla Lana School of Public Health (McIsaac); Department of Family and Community Medicine (Moineddin); Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, and Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (Colantonio); Department of Surgery (Nathens), University of Toronto; Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Matheson, McIsaac), St. Michael's Hospital; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Matheson, Moineddin, Nathens); Department of Surgery (Nathens), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont.; Correctional Service Canada (Keown, Moser, Stewart, Wilton), Ottawa, Ont.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) significantly increases the risk of incarceration by 2.5 times in Ontario adults. This study highlights the need for TBI prevention to reduce criminal justice involvement.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Criminology
- Public Health
Background:
- Recent evidence links traumatic brain injury (TBI) to increased criminal justice system involvement.
- Understanding the association between TBI and incarceration risk is crucial for public health and policy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between TBI and the risk of incarceration.
- To examine this association in both men and women in Ontario.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 1.418 million young adults (18-28 years) in Ontario was established using administrative health records from 1997 to 2011.
- TBI history was sourced from emergency and hospital records, while incarceration data came from the Correctional Service of Canada.
- Cox proportional hazard models were employed to estimate incarceration risk, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and medical history.
Main Results:
- Over 18 million person-years of follow-up, 3531 incarcerations occurred.
- Participants with a prior TBI exhibited a higher incidence of incarceration compared to those without.
- After full adjustment, individuals with TBI were approximately 2.5 times more likely to be incarcerated.
Conclusions:
- Traumatic brain injury is significantly associated with an elevated risk of incarceration in both men and women.
- Findings underscore the necessity of developing comprehensive prevention strategies for TBI and incarceration.
