Centre for Mental Health

Sainsbury Centre welcomes new call for race equality in prison system

17 November 2008

Efforts to divert and rehabilitate offenders with mental health problems should be appropriate to the needs of people from Black and minority ethnic communities, the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health said today.

Welcoming the Race for Justice report Less equal than others, Sainsbury Centre director of prisons and criminal justice Sean Duggan said: "We know that people from some Black and minority ethnic communities are over-represented both in prisons and in secure mental health hospitals. Too many African and Caribbean people's first experiences of mental health services are as a result of police intervention. And the mistrust that lies between many Black and minority ethnic communities and mental health services remains a major barrier to improving people's lives.

"We support Race for Justice's call for court diversion schemes to support Black and minority ethnic offenders with mental health and drug problems to be properly resourced. Diversion schemes must be skilled in working with Black people and in ensuring they get access to mental health care that is appropriate to their individual needs.

"Support into employment for offenders is also vital. People with mental health problems already face major barriers to obtaining employment. We need to find out how to overcome those barriers and give Black and minority ethnic people leaving prison a fair chance of getting work and recovering from mental health problems."