BMA slams "ridiculous" prison overflows
Wednesday, 20 Feb 2008 00:01
The BMA says public and prisoner safety is being put at risk
The government's use of temporary prison accommodation needs to be urgently reviewed, the British Medical Academy (BMA) has warned.
It is calling on the Prison Service to quickly reduce reliance on prisoners being held in police and court cells and demands the government "commits itself to phasing out this wasteful and damaging system".
The BMA warns the safety of both prisoners and the public in England and Wales are being put at risk by continuing reliance on temporary prison accommodation.
Dr George Fernie, chairman of the BMA's forensic medicine committee, sought to emphasise the wide range of negative effects being created by these conditions.
He said forensic physicians were hindered in their efforts to provide assistance in emergency situations like suicide attempts.
In the longer term, temporary accommodation makes treatment for mental health and drug addiction problems "impossible", he adds.
As an estimated two-thirds of prisoners are drug dependent and 70 per cent have these problems, Dr Fernie warned a lack of full healthcare meant rehabilitation will not help lower "appalling" reoffending rates.
"It is simply ridiculous that the government has been spending millions of pounds on keeping prisoners in these completely inappropriate conditions," he said.
At present 408 prisoners out of the prison population's record total of 81,918 are being held after sentencing in prison and court cells, up from 68 three weeks ago.
The Ministry of Justice insisted it did not hold prisoners in temporary accommodation unless absolutely necessary.
It said a police surgeon or court nurse were always on hand and said prisoners held overnight were usually moved back to prison after one or two nights.
"The criminal justice system can act as a gateway to health services for vulnerable people who find it hard to access mainstream health and social care services," a statement said.
"The government is therefore consulting now on the healthcare available to offenders across the whole criminal justice system."