Sainsbury Centre welcomes new review of prison mental health but warns against 'Titan' prisons

05 December 2007

The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health today has welcomed the Government's commitment to review how the criminal justice system works with people who have mental health problems.

Responding to the Justice Secretary's plans to manage prison overcrowding, announced today, Sainsbury Centre director of prisons and criminal justice Sean Duggan also welcomed the pledge to prevent indeterminate sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection from being issued to those sentenced to less than two years in prison.

But he expressed concern over plans to address the current overcrowding crisis through building of 20,000 new prison places costing £2.7bn, including the building of three 'Titan' prisons, which will hold 2,500 prisoners in each, and proposals for a new prison ship.

Sean Duggan said: "Far too many people with serious mental illnesses are being detained in prison, and not being diverted to more appropriate care and treatment. Often this means that their illness is made worse, and that nothing is done to help reduce their future offending. We hope Lord Bradley's much needed review will lead to alternatives to prison being much better used than now.  It is essential that the review looks to what other countries are doing to tackle this problem.

"The current overcrowding crisis has had a detrimental effect on the wellbeing of all prisoners. The number of people sentenced to Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) has reached more than 3,400 since 2005, well above the 900 originally predicted.  Many of these have mental health problems.  We are therefore pleased that the Government plans to limit the use of IPP and to expand the use of Community Sentences for people with mental health problems."

The Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, in his statement to the House of Commons on Lord Carter of Coles Review of Prisons (Securing the future Proposals for the efficient and sustainable use of custody in England and Wales), today announced a review of diversion schemes, custodial based placement and transfer for mentally disordered offenders, to be conducted by Lord Bradley.

The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health has a major work programme focusing on prison mental health care.  Recent work has included a call for all prisons to have a dedicated GP practice.  It is carrying out work to investigate how people with mental health problems can be diverted from prison and to explore the impact of IPP on mental health.