Brian-injured intimate partner violence survivor explains why we need TBI screenings for both perpetrators and victims of crimes

This article was initially published in our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing.

In an article published in The Marshall Project, Melissa Bickford (with staff writer Maurice Chammah) details her experience with intimate partner violence and the subsequent impact of the TBI she suffered as a result. However, she would only realize the long-term consequences more than a year later. 

Bickford learned, from a University of Denver professor of psychology, about the relatively high rates of brain injury in incarcerated populations – “Studies suggest that between 40% to 80% of people inside suffered an injury, compared with just 5% to 9% of the general population.”

Subsequently, Bickford connected with a formerly incarcerated man named Marchell Taylor – an advocate for neuropsychological exams for imprisoned populations. Taylor described “how, for most of his life, he’d felt impulsive and easily agitated. He learned this was due to a brain injury early in his life. After getting out of prison, he committed another crime. He believes this stemmed from his inability to manage his emotions, in part because he hadn’t been educated about his brain injury.” 

Connecting with Taylor made Bickford realize that the psycho-emotional and physical fallout of a brain injury can push victims to become perpetrators. The two are now writing a bill for the Colorado legislature “that would require brain injury screenings for crime victims,” which they hope can be adapted to extend to those in jail awaiting trial. 

The Veterans & Service Members section of this newsletter covers a topic related to this issue.