Acquired Brain Injury and Intellectual Disability and Prison

The other day I met with Lachlan Dunrick in Port Philip Prison. He is a Prison Services Coordinator of the DHS and is organising services for intellectually disabled and brain injured prisoners in Victoria. A very interesting meeting, and I thought I'd share the information on the blog.

First of all, he made me aware of a research paper on acquired brain injury in the Victorian prison system (available on the internet here). A nice study, screening prisoners who entered the system and then confirming the possibility of brain damage with a full neuropsychological assessment. The study found that 42% of males and 33% of females entering the prison system had an acquired brain injury. These numbers may be an underestimation, because only 75% of all male and 58% of female prisoners entering the system agreed to participate in the study.

Also, I found out that there is a separate unit for brain injured and intellectually disabled prisoners at Port Phillip Prison. The prisoners have to need a bit of extra care and to agree to participate in the services. The unit is much nicer than the rest of the prison - with flower beds and quite a bit of greenery, and the prisoners work in a small horticultural area in the unit rather than working in the prison factory with the mainstream prisoners. The prisoners who receive the disability services (in the unit or outside) are also helped to obtain appropriate help upon release from prison.

Lachlan pointed me to the Service Access Policy of the DHS (available here). It has a nice definition of disability due to an acquired brain injury, which may be worthwhile to consider in our reports when we are recommending services. Lachlan hoped that we can address this definition in our reports, which would make determining whether the person can access services somewhat easier.

So, disability is:

A sensory, physical or neurological impairment or acquired brain injury or any combination thereof, which

• is likely to be permanent, and
• causes a substantially reduced capacity in at least one of the areas of self care, self management, mobility or communication, and 
• requires significant ongoing or long term episodic support, and
• is not related to ageing, or

An intellectual disability, or

A developmental delay.

He also agreed to me putting up his details on the blog and was happy for neuropsychologists to contact him if they needed some information. His details are:

Lachlan Durinck
Prison Services Coordinator
Disability Forensic Assessment & Treatment Service
Department of Human Services
Ph. 9217 7200 (ext 306) & 9280 2730
Lachlan.Durinck@dhs.vic.gov.au

cheers,

Izabela