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Criminal justice liaison and diversion schemes: A focus on women offendersTable 3 Female and male contactsseen by the CJLD schemesFemaleEthnicity (white) 96%(361/377)Marital status(single)74%(218/293)Homeless 14%(24/167)Has previousconvictions65%(107/166)Violent offender 17%(55/325)Male91%(1481/1637)79%(1132/1436)17%(133/766)80%(544/681)14%(193/1369)RecommendationsBelow we outline some recommendations, basedon our research, for how schemes might improvetheir service for women offenders with mentalhealth problems.ResourcesThe schemes are clearly under-resourced andthe entire criminal justice system wouldbenefit from greater investment in them. Theirprofile might be raised if schemes weredirectly commissioned by primary care trustsand had clear performance targets from theDepartment of Health. For this to happen thereneeds to be good evidence about throughputsand impact, and this information will only beavailable if there is investment in theadministrative infrastructure of CJLD schemes.Public orderoffenderSection 136detaineeHas previouscontact withmental healthservicesMental healthneed (SEMI)Substancemisuse problem15%(50/325)9%(116/1369)1% (3/325) 1%(10/1369)94%(149/159)8%(25/325)38%(125/325)93%(498/537)14%(194/1371)29%(394/1371)Providing services for a higher proportion ofthose in need is in part a question ofresources. The schemes simply do not havethe capacity to provide sufficient coverage.However, a higher proportion of thepopulation in need could be located ifschemes’ times of operation were more closelysynchronised with the times of peak demand,such as evenings and weekends.If more resources were made available, CJLDschemes should aim for a more proactiveworking style by, for example, checkingcustody records and prisoner escort recordforms for evidence of mental health issuesand/or previous contact with mental healthservices, rather than relying on referrals fromcustody staff.have been diagnosed with a substance use issue.They were less likely to have previous convictionsor have been diagnosed with SEMI than their malecounterparts. This is in contrast to researchshowing a higher prevalence of mental illness(including psychosis) among female prisonerscompared to male prisoners, 15 and suggests somedegree of unmet need and missed opportunities forthe mental health screening of women in contactwith the criminal justice system.Informed gender practiceProactive screening may be particularlyimportant for identifying women with mentalhealth problems because they may be lessobvious to the non-specialist. However, womenwho appear challenging can also be extremelyvulnerable.Wherever possible, the service user shouldhave the choice of speaking with a femalemember of staff. Schemes could encouragethe recruitment of female staff by offering,for example, job shares and part-timeappointments.10
Mental health briefing 2008Box 2Recommended minimumdata setDate of referral and assessmentAge, sex and ethnicity of clientSource of referral (eg, police, court, probation)Improving working relationships andcommunication between the schemes andprison inreach teams in female prisons is alsoa priority. Initially, this may simply be a matterof establishing links with other CJLD schemesto ensure a local (to the prison) team canprovide support to the offender until they arereleased and move back to their area ofresidence.Housing, employment and relationship status ofclientCJLD scheme staff should also be aware of anygender equality strategy produced by theiragencies under the Gender Equality Duty (April2007).If more resources are made available, thenthese should be deployed in a way thatpermits more gender-specific workingpractices. This should include training forscheme staff on women’s mental health andother needs and the profile of womenoffenders.Partnership workingCurrent offence and previous convictionsReason for referralPrevious contact with mental health servicesPrimary diagnosisReferral recommendationsCriminal justice outcomeThere is clearly a need to improve andformalise links between the CJLD schemes andDARS and these links could be developed tobetter cater for those offenders with mentalhealth and substance misuse problems. Links with community-based services couldalso be improved. Signposting is limited andthus developing more formal referral linkswith appropriate local agencies (including thevoluntary sector) could result in betterattendance at follow-up services in thecommunity among CJLD clients. Schemesshould map out women’s organisations thatoffer counselling, women’s centres, womenonlyhostels, supported accommodation anddrug projects, crisis centres and services thatengage with sex workers. The Griffin Society *has a resources database which may be useful.Any gaps that exist in provision, for example alack of women-only inpatient facilities, shouldbe raised with commissioners.Performance monitoring The minimum data set defined for this studyto monitor scheme activity (set out in Box 2above) could be achieved easily (all theschemes collected these data as part of routinescreening and assessment procedures) ifresources were available for administrativesupport, including database construction andmanagement.User engagement Strategies for user engagement are at arudimentary level and should be developed.Publicity The work of the CJLD schemes needs to bepublicised via leaflets and posters at policestations and in courts and given to defencesolicitors to ensure that all criminal justiceprofessionals, offenders and detainees areaware of the services they provide.* www.thegriffinsociety.org11
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