Protocol for a scoping review on rehabilitation among individuals with traumatic brain injury who intersect with the criminal justice system.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a leading cause of both death and disability worldwide, is highly prevalent among individuals who intersect with the criminal justice system. TBI is associated with increased behavioural, psychological, or negative outcomes, such as higher rates of mental health problems, aggression, and violent offending that may lead to negative interactions with the criminal justice system, reincarceration, and recidivism. Although rehabilitation is often recommended and holds promise in addressing TBI-related impairments, there is currently a paucity of reviews on rehabilitation for individuals with TBI who intersect with the criminal justice system (CJS). Concurrently, to the best of our knowledge, there is currently no review that considers rehabilitation among individuals with TBI who intersect with all parts of the CJS (i.e., policing, courts, corrections, and parole). This protocol is for a scoping review to address the above gaps, specifically, to identify the types of rehabilitation interventions and/or programs available to, or used by, individuals with TBI who intersect with all parts of the CJS. Primary research articles that meet pre-defined inclusion criteria will be identified from electronic databases (MEDLINE® ALL, Embase and Embase Classic, Cochrane CENTRAL Register of Clinical Trials, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Nursing and Allied Health, and Dissertation and These Global), reference lists of included articles, and scoping or systematic reviews. Grey literature will also be searched to identify non-peer-reviewed reports. Retrieved articles will be screened by two reviewers and any disagreements will be resolved by a third reviewer. Data will be summarized quantitatively and analyzed using content analytic techniques. Intersecting identities will be charted and considered in the analysis. Stakeholders will be engaged to obtain feedback on preliminary results and the implications of findings. The scoping review will summarize the current state of rehabilitation available to, or used by, individuals with TBI who intersect with all parts of the CJS to (a) inform opportunities to integrate rehabilitation in the criminal justice system for diverse individuals and (b) identify opportunities for future research.

Rehabilitation among individuals with traumatic brain injury who intersect with the criminal justice system: A scoping review.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, is highly prevalent among individuals who intersect with the criminal justice system (CJS). It is well-established that TBI negatively impacts individuals' interactions both within the CJS and upon release and is associated with serious disciplinary charges and higher recidivism rates. Although rehabilitation is fundamental to TBI recovery, it is not known to what extent rehabilitation is available to, or used by, individuals who intersect with the CJS. This scoping review explores the availability and extent of rehabilitation for individuals with TBI who intersect with the CJS, based on available literature. A systematic search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL Register of Clinical Trials, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, and Proquest Nursing and Allied Health), relevant organizations' websites, and reference lists of eligible articles identified 22 peer-reviewed articles and 2 gray literature reports that met predetermined eligibility criteria. Extracted data were synthesized through a descriptive numerical summary and qualitative content analysis. This review provides evidence that existing rehabilitation interventions are already serving individuals with TBI with a history of CJS involvement; however, they rarely consider or acknowledge TBI or CJS in their interventions. Findings also suggest opportunities to integrate rehabilitation for individuals with TBI who intersect with the CJS through TBI screening, education on TBI within CJS settings, and linkages to the community to facilitate continuity of care. This review also highlights significant gaps in knowledge regarding sex, gender, and other intersecting factors. Research to understand how these experiences impact the rehabilitation process throughout the CJS is urgently needed to enable timely and appropriate rehabilitation and continuity of care for diverse individuals with TBI who intersect with the CJS.