In the Lancet Psychiatry, experts with the University of Glasgow unveiled how 78 percent of female inmates within Scotland show a past history of drastic head injuries due to prolonged abuse.
The presence of a head injury may increase the risk of violent offending among women in prison, researchers noted.
“The UN recognises vulnerabilities in women in prison, but does not include head injury,” The Lancet report reads. “This study aimed to investigate relationships among head injury, comorbidities, disability, and offending in women in prison.”
Throughout the study, researchers examined 355 women subjected to prison time. In nearly 80 percent of the participants, head injuries were evident, 40 percent of whom had a disability as a result.
“There was a strong relationship between a history of SHI and violent crime. High multimorbidity in women with SHI, particularly a history of abuse and problematic substance use, and current PTSD, was found,” the authors described in their findings.
“These findings have implications for policy and interventions for women in prison, including offender treatment programmes and risk management,” the study concluded.
