BROMLEY BRIEFINGS PRISON FACTFILE - Prison Reform Trust

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A high proportion of prisoners have beentreated in psychiatric hospitals - 20% ofmale and 15% of female sentencedprisoners have previously been admittedfor in-patient psychiatric care.The number of restricted patients underthe Mental Health Act in England andWales was 3,395 at the end 2005, thehighest for a decade. 779 of the patientswere transferred from prison to hospital.Those released from restricted hospitals in2003 have a 7% reconviction rate after twoyears. 228In the quarter ending December 2006, 38prisoners had been assessed and werewaiting three months or more before beingtransferred to hospital. Many prisoners alsohave long waits before an assessment takesplace. 229Mental health in-reach teams areoperating in 102 prisons. 230Prison regimes do little to address themental health needs of prisoners. Researchhas found that 28% of male sentencedprisoners with evidence of psychosis reportedspending 23 or more hours a day in their cells- over twice the proportion of those withoutmental health problems.Prisoners with severe mental health problemsare often not diverted to more appropriatesecure provision. The Chief Inspector of Prisonshas estimated, based on visits to local prisons,that 41% of prisoners being held in health carecentres should have been in secure NHSaccommodation. 231 Research has found that thereare up to 500 patients in prison health carecentres with mental health problems sufficientlyill to require immediate NHS admission. 232 Thegovernment has committed itself to a programmeof standardising court diversion schemes acrossthe country. 233Figures for 2006 showed a 30% rise since 2002in the transfer of seriously mentally illprisoners to specialised psychiatricfacilities. 234The resettlement needs of prisoners withmental health problems are not being met.Research found that 96% of mentally-disorderedprisoners were put back into the communitywithout supported housing, including 80% ofthose who had committed the most seriousoffences; more than three quarters had beengiven no appointment with outside carers. 235228. Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Statistics of Mentally Disordered Offenders 2005, 1 March 2007229. Hansard, House of Commons written answers, 27 March 2007230. Hansard, House of Commons written answers, 19 February 2007231. HM Inspectorate of Prisons (2004) Annual Report of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales 2002-2003, London: Stationery Office232. Reed, J. (2003) Mental Health Care in Prisons, British Journal of Psychiatry 182, p287-288233. Hansard, House of Commons written answers, 12 September 2005234. NOMS, Safer Custody News, July/August 2007235. Melzer et al (2002) Prisoners with psychosis in England and Wales: a one-year national follow-up study, The Howard Journal 41, page 1-1328www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk
Mental health issues amongst prisoners areoften linked to previous experiences ofviolence at home and sexual abuse. Abouthalf of women and about a quarter of men inprison have suffered from violence at homewhile about one in three women report havingsuffered sexual abuse compared with just underone in 10 men.In a thematic review of the care andsupport of prisoners with mental healthneeds, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, AnneOwers, said that “prison has become, to fartoo large an extent, the default setting forthose with a wide range of mental andemotional disorders.” 237Half of all those sentenced to custody arenot registered with a GP prior to being sentto prison. 236236. Social Exclusion Unit (2002) Reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners, London: Social Exclusion Unit237. HM Inspectorate of Prisons, The mental health of prisoners, a thematic review of the care and support of prisoners with mental health needs,October 2007www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk 29
Page 1 and 2: BROMLEY BRIEFINGSPRISON FACTFILEDec
Page 3 and 4: IntroductionThe social and economic
Page 5 and 6: The number of women in prison has m
Page 7 and 8: Prison overcrowdingPrison overcrowd
Page 9 and 10: Prison suicideThe suicide rate for
Page 11 and 12: Sentencing trendsThe number of peop
Page 13 and 14: In 2006-07, 30% of suicides in cust
Page 15 and 16: widely used drugs.The Oxford resear
Page 17 and 18: During their sentence 45% of people
Page 19 and 20: Young people in prison (18-20 year
Page 21 and 22: Children in PrisonIn October 2007 t
Page 23 and 24: Minority ethnic prisonersAt the end
Page 25 and 26: Elderly prisoners (aged 60 and over
Page 27: Mental health needs of prisoners 21
Page 31 and 32: Drug use amongst prisoners in custo
Page 33 and 34: Alcohol 264In almost half of violen
Page 35 and 36: Homelessness and unemploymentSurvey
Page 37 and 38: Education48% of prisoners are at or
Page 39 and 40: Recalls to prison 329In the five ye
Page 41 and 42: Private prisons 349There are eleven
Page 43 and 44: Long term trends and future prison

BROMLEY BRIEFINGS PRISON FACTFILE - Prison Reform Trust

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