Calendar of Events

Individuals with TBI within the criminal justice system, more specifically, within correctional settings are immensely overrepresented and vastly under researched. Many behaviors and symptoms linked to TBI, such as poor impulse control and increased risks of substance use comorbidities, make this population vulnerable and more likely to recidivate.

Pilot data from the Denver County Jail Mental Health Transition Unit found that more than 95% of inmates have a history of one or more complicated TBI’s (Traumatic Brain Injury in Criminal Justice).

Presenters’ Dr. Dawn Pflugradt and Dr. Danielle Ciccone-Coutre will be discussing several topics including prevalence rates and research related to TBI within correctional settings, as well as possible ways to improve treatment practices. Dr. Ciccone-Coutre Coutre is a Board-Certified Rehabilitation Psychologist. She currently serves as the Chief Regional Psychologist for the Department of Corrections (DOC)/Division of Community Corrections (DCC) in Southeastern Wisconsin. Her career foci have included predominantly, work with TBI and posttraumatic stress disorder across the developmental lifespan. She is also collaborating on research in the DOC/DCC, with interest in the role of TBI, and neuro/rehabilitation psychology of criminal behavior. Dr. Pflugradt is a licensed psychologist specializing in forensic and clinical psychology. She has advanced degrees in psychology, social work and bioethics. She works for a Midwestern DOC, primarily in community corrections. Dr. Pflugradt also maintains a private psychology forensic practice and is a professor at the Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology.