Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health welcomes government commitment to review prison policies

27 March 2007

"The Government's pledge to increase the support available to offenders with mental health problems is a welcome recognition of how much needs to be done to reduce levels of mental distress in our prisons," Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (SCMH) director of prisons and criminal justice Sean Duggan said today.

Responding to the Government policy review Building on Progress, Sean Duggan said: "Far too many people with mental health problems are in prison today, getting inadequate help and being released without proper rehabilitation.

"The Government has recognised it needs to offer more alternatives to imprisonment for offenders with mental health problems. Its pledge to improve rehabilitation when people return to their communities is an important step forward.

"But the notions of 'hybrid prisons' and 'mental health courts'need to be examined very carefully. We must ensure prisoners with mental health problems get the right support in the right environment and look at how other countries have attempted to achieve this. We must not try to implement untested ideas without first examining their effectiveness.

"Prisons will never be mental illness-free zones. Many prisoners have a range of mental health, drug and alcohol, educational and other problems that need to be addressed with great care. We need urgent investment in health care equivalent to that offered in the community while looking to divert as many people as possible from prison to effective alternatives.

"We are pleased the Government is taking this issue seriously. We now need to work together to develop a strategy based on sound evidence to address the very different needs of the whole range of people in the criminal justice system who have mental health problems."