Following the recent debate on the Domestic Abuse Bill Chris Bryant, MP and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Acquired Brain Injury secured a meeting with Victoria Atkins Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office to discuss screening for brain injury. Officials from the Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and the Home Office joined the call together with Joss Gaynor from The Disabilities Trust and Chloe Hayward from UKABIF.
Chris reiterated the need to screen all female prisoners and to screen those with a domestic abuse order. He explained that screening need not be expensive or complex and can consist of a simple series of questions.
Joss Gaynor of The Disabilities Trust, who have developed a clinically validated screening tool called the Brain Injury Screening Index, referred to the high incidence of acquired brain injury in women's prisons and the strong link to domestic abuse. Published work has been carried out by The Disabilities Trust and their full report can be seen her (https://www.thedtgroup.org/foundation/news/the-impact-of-brain-injury-and-domestic-abuse-a-further-analysis)
Although every brain injury is different and individual assessments are needed, interventions for prisoners with acquired brain injuries can be straight forward and inexpensive. Examples include provision of memory aids, noise reduction and programmes which address fatigue.
Chris Bryant has visited Cardiff Prison and seen first hand the benefits to prisoners with ABI and the dramatic improvements to the running of the prison.
Victoria Atkins confirmed that she would discuss the issues raised with her ministerial counterparts and would reconvene with UKABIF, The DT Group and Chris Bryant following parliamentary recess in September.
UKABIF is a registered charity number 1128284 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales Company Number: 6520608. Address of the Company's Registered Office: 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX
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