Imagine this scenario, a person demonstrates unusual behavior. He acts strangely and eventually becomes a bully. This is a radical transformation from his previous peaceful and even kind demeanor. No one can explain the gross personality change. Eventually, you come to think there must be a more serious reason for this behavior and believe it is spiritual. You call in an exorcist. He does his ritual and everything seems fine for a month until one day the man goes back to his bizarre behavior, this time it is even worse. He goes completely off the edge and finally kills his whole family and himself.
People assume the demon returned, however, the results of an autopsy on the deceased crazed man, demonstrate that he had a brain tumor on his left temporal lobe. It was not demons that caused this, it was the biological reality of a brain tumor.
How would you treat the exorcist? Would you sue him for malpractice? Would you imprison him? You certainly would hold him responsible for treating a problem in the twenty-first century with a sixteenth-century solution.
What if I tell you that your government does this every day? Not with exorcism but with incarceration.
Prisons and TBI
Our current prison system which houses more prisoners than any other in the world bases its existence on the idea that good people stay out of prison and bad people go to prison. Hopefully, bad people can be rehabilitated but if not then for the safety of society, they remain in prison.
There is growing evidence that many prisoners are suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) which can range from concussion to a severe assault upon the brain due to external trauma or biological abnormality such as a tumor. Only recently has the truth of brain trauma and its connection to criminal behavior come to the forefront of public policy.
Studies from the United States, Britain and New Zealand, among other countries, show that a majority of those incarcerated suffer from some form of TBI. Moderate to severe brain trauma can precede incarceration because TBI damaged those parts of the brain, particularly in the temporal lobe, which control inhibitions and temper aggressive impulses.
Offenders remain undiagnosed often and the trauma is often not considered in their sentence or their situation. Some even believe just considering TBI as a cause of behavior provides criminals with a loophole to freedom to commit more crime. The fact is, however, that most criminals serve their time and get out. If they suffer from TBI and it is left untreated, prisons will not be a deterrent, they will actually exacerbate the problem which makes society less safe.
TBI and brain dysfunction
TBI often makes the brain unable to efficiently process information and mitigate stimuli that a normal brain does unencumbered.
Dr. Wayne Gordon of the Mount Sinai School of Rehabilitation compared it to dropping a computer on its side that damages the CPU, according to Prison Legal News. It will still work but not as well.
When you couple this with different interpretations of the world about them, TBI victims may be unable to control inhibitions caused by this brain damage. Simply locking them up can be as effective as calling in an exorcist. Worse, neurologists explain those who have traumatic brain injury may not be able to function well in prison and this may be interpreted by corrections officers as resistance leading to punishment and penalties.
TBI exacerbated in prison
Common behaviors by people inside a prison, especially with TBI, include banging one’s head against the wall further damaging the brain. Others cite violent actions by other prisoners designed to cause brain damage such as “pumpkin head” which purposely attempts to induce brain swelling as part of a gang initiation.
Neurologists indicate the most severe problems related to incarceration due to post-TBI behavior have to deal with the temporal lobe. It is the largest part of the brain, the last to fully develop, and is located behind the forehead. In a head-on collision, for example, it is just that area most vulnerable.
Those who suffer from temporal lobe damage often manifest aggressive behavior according to the Brain Injury Institute. The damage can also impair the ability to engage in complex behavior even as mundane as making coffee, they explain. Do note that the inability to complete such a task will result in frustration and maybe even aggressive behavior as a result of the frustration.
Further, if TBI is a factor in criminal behavior, it is often the defense team that will have to seek out a diagnosis and absorb the cost, unless a judge requires it.
Actions to take when one suffers a TBI
If a loved one suffered any kind of a potential or actual TBI and seems to be fine physically, even if they seem to act normal right away, it is still essential for the person to have a full neurological workup and even an MRI or CT scan if so required by the neurologist. TBIs may not be so obvious immediately after an accident unless a person became comatose. This becomes a real problem for those who are economically disadvantaged, especially among the communities of color which are highly represented in both the prison community and in the percentage of those with TBI.
One problem with TBIs, doctors explain, is that the person can act similarly to the famous knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail who dismisses amputation as nothing more than a flesh wound. A person with a serious TBI may be resistant to treatment because they feel they are fine; they cannot see the obvious deficits that you can. Do not assume they are ok just because they say so. A TBI needs documentation and regular follow-up.
If a loved one suffered a TBI, immediately do your research and be in touch with groups of those in similar circumstances. Check with the hospital or medical care provider of good support resources in the area. You need to be alert to all at your disposal to help your loved one.
I have a mild form of Tourette Syndrome, currently in dormancy. A neurologist told me that people who have the disorder and are organized in support groups know more about it than neurologists because they deal with it twenty-four seven. You do the same, the more you are in touch with people dealing with the issue the more you will help yourself and your loved one.
Further, a general rule of thumb for dealing with behavior caused by brain issues is that you address the behavior but also treat the neurological cause. So, a person who commits a crime due to a TBI would not be excused but the response would address the behavior and the neurological issues as well, not one or the other.
If your loved one is arrested, make sure the lawyer knows about the TBI, even if your loved one does not inform him or her. Encourage the defense attorney to inform the judge and even if possible seek a court-mandated diagnosis.
TBI is not an excuse for criminal behavior, however, if it is a symptom then treating it as anything but will cause damage to more than just one person.
An exorcist once told me that a full neurological workup is required before one considers doing a real exorcism. He said: “If a person has a brain tumor and you treat him for possession, he will die of a brain tumor.”
Sadly, not everyone in the civil sphere maintains such an “advanced” way of thinking.
Sources:
Brain Injury Institute, Frontal Lobe Damage, https://www.braininjuryinstitute.org/frontal-lobe-damage/
W Huw Williams, PhD, Prathiba Chitsabesan, MD, Prof Seena Fazel, MD, Prof Tom McMillan, PhD, Prof Nathan Hughes, PhD, Michael Parsonage, MA, and James Tonks, PhD, Traumatic brain injury: a potential cause of violent crime? Lancet Psychiatry, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6171742/
Guy, Fiona, The Relationship Between Traumatic Brain Injury and Criminal Behaviour, The Crime Traveler Online Resources, 2017, updated 2020 https://www.crimetraveller.org/2017/01/traumatic-brain-injury-criminal-behaviour/
Lyon, Ed, People with Traumatic Injuries More Likely to Commit Crimes, Prison Legal News, 2019 https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2019/jun/3/people-traumatic-brain-injuries-more-likely-commit-crimes/
Stone, Paul, Does Brain Injury Contribute to Criminal Behavior? Neurologic Rehabilitation Institute at Brookhaven Hospital, 2013 https://traumaticbraininjury.net/2013/08/05/does-brain-injury-contribute-to-criminal-behavior/
McGauren, Debbie, Let’s Talk About Traumatic Brain Injury, Active Beat, 2018, https://www.activebeat.com/your-health/lets-talk-about-traumatic-brain-injury/
Winslade, William J. Traumatic Brain Injury and Criminal Responsibility, 2003, Lahey Clinic, https://www.law.uh.edu/healthlaw/perspectives/Disabilities/031215Traumatic.html
Sanderferer, Kalyn Traumatic Brain Injury and the African American Male, 2019, Rainbow Rehabilitation Centers, https://www.biami.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/TH07.pdf
Victim Brain Injury: New Screening Tools, Court Watch Montgomery, https://courtwatchmontgomery.org/victim-brain-injury-new-screening-tools/
Kristy S. Lane B.A., Maria E. St. Pierre M.A., Margo D. Lauterbach M.D., Vassilis E. Koliatsos M.D., Patient Profiles of Criminal Behavior in the Context of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2016, Journal of Forensic Sciences https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1556-4029.13289
Allen, John B., The Horrifying Story of Katy Perry’s Ex, 2021, YouTube.com/mrballen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYUKVwP-AVQ
Anderson, Renee, Parent Herald, Untreated Brain Injury in Childhood Triggers Criminal Tendencies, 2008, https://www.parentherald.com/articles/336/20121020/brain-injury-crime-children.htm
Neurohealth Associates, Can Traumatic Brain Injury Lead to Criminal Behavior, 2018, https://nhahealth.com/can-traumatic-brain-injury-lead-to-criminal-behavior/