Avi Gilad's Bold Claim: 70% of Prisoners Have ADHD
The host shares his experience from a visit to Ma'asiyahu Prison, pointing out the thin line between those whose ADHD brought them to prison and those who managed to cope. He's now on a mission to offer help.
Gilad, archive image (Photo: Oren Nahshon, Flash 90)Host Avi Gilad revealed intriguing statistics during a visit to a prison in a post yesterday (Tuesday).
"I was at the prison today. I went to meet inmates at the Ma'asiyahu Attention Center—prisoners with ADHD, likely the reason they ended up behind bars," wrote Gilad. "Seventy percent of prisoners in Israel have ADHD, compared to just about ten percent in the general population. An undiagnosed and untreated disorder is the main reason people get involved in various offenses, most trying to get a drop of dopamine for their brain craving this precious substance, which is deficient in those affected by the disorder."
He mentioned offering prison managers a new capsule for ADHD treatment—one he takes himself. "During the lecture in front of the prisoners, I saw how thin the line is between those whose ADHD ruined their lives and led them into trouble and prison, and those who managed to cope without falling apart. Both they and I are equally impulsive, scattered, forgetful, and overly reactive. They just had less luck, that's all."
Gilad expressed he left with the feeling that humanity must find a better way to deal with ADHD other than prison: "So many good people could be free if identified in time and treated accordingly."
