About Us
This website was developed as a resource for young people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who are involved in the criminal legal/justice system, and those who work to support them.
Our goal is to provide an overview of TBI and an understanding of the cognitive, communication, and behavioural consequences that can be risk factors for criminal involvement and barriers for successful community reintegration.
We understand there are other neurodisabilities among children and youth in the criminal justice system, and the principles presented here can also be applied to other neurodisabilities.
Readers will learn about the prevalence of TBI and other neurodisabilities in criminal justice systems internationally, as well the impact of intersections with other risk factors such as lack of diagnosis, medical care and developmentally based rehabilitation, and lack of family support.
Young people who use this site can learn more about TBI and how to ask for help with communication with lawyers, case workers, probation officers, and other criminal justice system employees. Get started here!
People who support youth in the criminal justice system will learn about TBI and have access to tools and resources to help support communication.
Who Are We?
We are an international team of people who care deeply about children and youth. We are clinicians, scholars, lawyers, students, people with lived experience, and other legal professionals. We are parents, children, siblings, aunts, and uncles. We aim to support children and young people internationally to live their best life.
Our team
This resource website is brought to you by the TBI and Social Justice Lab at McMaster University, in Canada. It is made possible by a dedicated team of professionals who all serve as volunteers on the project. We are grateful for their commitment to supporting young people with TBI in the criminal justice system internationally.
Initial funding for this project was received from the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation through a grant to Dr. Catherine Wiseman-Hakes and Dr. Lyn Turkstra of McMaster University.
Project Lead
Catherine Wiseman- Hakes, SLP, PhD., McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Project Team
Joseph Wszalek J.D. PhD., Center for Neurolaw and Equity, San Francisco, CA, USA
Gemma Creek, BSc. SLT, Youth Justice Team, National Health Service, UK
Sukhman Baath, MSc., Psy. D. student, Dept. of Psychology, Florida Institute of Technology, USA
Project Contributors
Rachel Newcombe HBA., MPR. (candidate), Brain Injury Canada
Karen Tinning, Probation and Parole Officers Association of Ontario, Canada
Patricia Pagnani, Director, Toronto Bail Program, Criminal Division, Canada
Lindsay Kroes, MSc SLP, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Watfa Abou Kaaf, MSc Speech-language pathology student, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Emily Kalbfleisch, MSc Speech-language pathology student, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Kashvie Shankar, MSc Speech-language pathology student, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Sabrina Smith, MSc Speech-language pathology student, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Kamilla Suleimanov, MSc Speech-language pathology student, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Kelsey Trewin, MSc Speech-language pathology student, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Website Development
Jillian Tester, Stationed Traveller Design Co
Project Consultants
Dr. Lyn Turkstra, PhD., Assistant Dean and Professor, Speech Language Pathology Program, McMaster University, Canada
Judy Dettmer, B.S. Director, Strategic Partnerships, National Association of Head Injury Associations, USA
Probation and Parole Officers Association of Ontario (POAO): PO’s Karen Tinning and Chris Podolinsky
Hope Kent, PhD. candidate, Forensic Psychology, University of Exeter, UK
Project Partners
We would like to acknowledge and thank our partners for their collaboration and support.
