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Current Action and Campaigns

Current Government Action

The inappropriate imprisonment of the mentally ill was acknowledged in a comprehensive report in 2002 by the Prime Minister’s Social Exclusion Unit which noted that ‘too many people with severe mental illness are in prison rather than secure treatment facilities’ and that this was contributing to overcrowding which, in turn, ‘limits the capacity of prisons, probation and other services to work effectively to reduce re-offending’.

In December 2007, the Government published its response to Baroness Corston’s major review of vulnerable women in the criminal justice system which called for a radical rethink in the use of prison for women. The review states that mentally ill women are being failed “The NHS is failing to provide services for women with mental illnesses who come into the criminal justice system and failing to provide the machinery necessary to divert them into suitable health care on arrest or from court.” Although ministers welcomed nearly all of the review’s recommendations, there is real concern that without dedicated funding and a commission to drive change, this attempt at reform will be no more successful than past efforts. 

Also in December 2007, the Government announced it had asked Rt Hon Lord Keith Bradley to review the diversion of offenders with mental health problems or learning disabilities away from prison. Lord Bradley is expected to report his findings in summer 2008.

The Department of Health, the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, are consulting on how to improve their response to mentally ill people who offend. The Government’s future response to this consultation and the implementation of any recommendations will be crucial to the future of those suffering from severe mental illness and their families.

Current Campaigns

The Prison Reform Trust, in consultation with mental health charities, has produced a series of ‘Troubled Inside’ reports highlighting the needs of men, women and children with mental health problems in the criminal justice system. These reports, supported by the Nuffield Foundation, provide evidence to show that the solution is not investing in more prisons, but addressing the gaps in mental health care, drug treatment and diversion schemes from police stations and courts to treatment in the community or secure care where needed. Attaching a community mental health nurse to courts and to custody suites at police stations would ensure a thorough, timely assessment of those in custody and access to all relevant services, producing better clinical outcomes and lower re-offending rates. In 2008, supported by the Mercers’ Company, the Prison Reform Trust is working with independent monitoring boards in prisons across England and Wales to present a detailed picture of the situation for mentally ill prisoners and their families and to use this as a catalyst for change. With the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, the Prison Reform Trust has just launched a major campaign to reduce child and youth imprisonment to ensure that vulnerable youngsters get the support and mental healthcare that is needed.

SmartJustice works to tackle the root causes of crime. Under the banner ‘SmartJustice for Women’, it campaigns for women convicted of non-violent crimes to be given community sentences and sent to centres to tackle the causes of offending (such as drug addiction, mental illness and debt) to prevent re-offending, enable women to take responsibility for their lives and keep families together rather than filling overcrowded prisons. In 2007 an ICM poll, commissioned by SmartJustice and Best magazine, recorded an 86% support rate for local centres for women. The central campaign focus for SmartJustice throughout 2008 is to press for appropriate treatment, rather than isolation and imprisonment, for people who are mentally ill or addicted to drugs or drink. 

An alliance of mental health and prison reform charities has been convened by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.  This includes, amongst others, MIND, HAFAL (a Welsh charity working with individuals recovering from severe mental illness and their families), Nacro, the Prison Reform Trust, and Revolving Doors. This group is pressing for diversion from custody and improvements in mental health services. Respected health bodies including the Royal Colleges and the British Medical Association have spoken out against the inappropriate imprisonment of the mentally ill.