MPs call for ‘root and branch’ reform of prison mental health support

The ‘mental health crisis’ in prisons will continue unless root and branch reform takes place, a report by the House of Commons justice committee has found.

Roughly 10% of the prison population are receiving treatment for mental illness, but up to 70% may be suffering from mental health issues.

The report argues that a ‘disjointed and incoherent approach’ to care has left many prisoners suffering from mental health issues without access to treatment or diagnosis.

It calls on the NHS, Ministry of Justice and the Prison and Probation Service to implement a system of integrated care that improves identification of mental health issues, provides seamless care while in prison and supports the transition to care in community settings on release.

It goes on to say there must be an end to practices that see prisons used as a safety net for when mental health services are inadequate or missing in the community. The Government must address the lack of capacity to support community orders with mental health requirements that mean it is not a sentencing option in many parts of the country.

It welcomes existing government proposals to end the concept of prison as a ‘place of safety’ for those with acute mental health needs and calls for this practice to be abolished by 2022.

Chair of the committee Sir Robert Neill MP said: “Mental health in prisons is not treated with the focus it needs. When there isn’t sufficient data to even give an indication of the scale of the problem it is clear that there needs to be concerted and systemic reform. We do not know how many people are missing out on the help they so desperately need or how effective current mental health support systems are and this needs to change fast.

He went on: “We have a duty of care to those who are in prison and we must do more to live up to it.”