Jail or support for brain-injury victims?

By Geoff Sing, Times Colonist

 

The federal government has announced plans to spend $105 million on prison expansions for three prisons. It projects a 25 per cent increase in prisoners over the next few years.

 

On the surface, this solution might sound proactive, but it is not.

 

In recent years, programs and services for the brain-injured were reduced dramatically. Statistics show that many of the individuals in our prisons have sustained a brain injury in their lifetime.

 

John Simpson, founder of the Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association, states that, "on the conservative side, it's estimated that 80 per cent of B.C. prisoners have sustained at least one brain injury in their lifetime. And 60 per cent plus of those 80 per cent experienced their first period of unconsciousness as a child."

 

A brain injury results from a blow to the head, tumour, aneurysm, stroke or concussion. One can result from a bike or car crash, a sporting incident, abuse or a fall. The person does not have to lose consciousness to sustain a brain injury.

 

The lifelong and often debilitating effects can result in cognitive and behavioral problems and include personality changes, memory loss and the inability to return to work.

 

The risk of not investing in rehabilitation for these individuals is that they often make poor choices leading to addictions or crime.

 

It will cost taxpayers $219 a day to warehouse each prisoner in a federal penitentiary. Wouldn't it make more sense to spend money on services that will prevent a large number of these individuals from being imprisoned in the first place?

 

Through this investment in terms rehabilitation, community support and fulfilling life-skills training, brain-injury survivors will have the opportunity to be positive contributors to our society.

 

Geoff Sing, manager

 

Cridge Centre for the Family Brain Injury Program