Experiences of prison mental health care (original) (raw)

Variations in prison mental health services in England and Wales

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 2013

This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues.

Out of sight, out of mind - the state of mental healthcare in prison

2008

leads a research group at the University of Lincoln that focuses solely on research in the criminal justice system and associated health issues. He was a founding collaborator of the National Prison Health Research Network and he is deeply interested in the relationship between policy, health status and reoffending. He is the lead author of Short-changed: Spending on Prison Mental Healthcare, a recent publication from the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, which highlights inequities in the NHS funding for prisoners who experience mental health disorders.

Modernising prison mental health care

Professional nurse (London, England), 2005

Some 90% of prisoners in England and Wales have a mental health poblem. This article outlines several initiatives, including health screening on admission and suicide prevention, to improve the care of this population.

Systemic limitations in the delivery of mental health care in prisons in England

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 2018

There is a high prevalence of mental health need in prisons, much of which is currently unmet. Although considerable research has identified and described this mental health need, there has been limited research focussed on reviewing the delivery of mental health care in prisons. This study uses content analysis to review 36 unannounced prison inspection reports in England to establish whether mental health care was provided to an appropriate standard, and whether it is equivalent to services that are provided in the wider community. The analysis identified four main categories, each of which had further sub-categories: managing the process; staffing; range of services; and quality of service. Numerous concerns were identified, including: delays to service access; lack of appropriate interventions; low staffing levels; limited specialist support; and limited access to supervision, training and reflective practice. Despite these difficulties, many teams had adopted open referral systems to improve service access, had good working relationships and were thought to be providing care of good quality. The delivery of mental health care within prisons is still not equivalent to that which is provided in the community, and this study has identified a number of areas for further improvement.

Secondary mental healthcare in prisons in England and Wales: results of a postal questionnaire

The Psychiatrist, 2011

Aims and method Prison mental health inreach teams (PMHITs) were introduced in response to policy from 2003. This provision comes under the responsibility of the National Health Service. Service development and structure was not defined in policy. A total of 97 prisons of an estimated 100 known to have a PMHIT were targeted by postal questionnaire and responses covered 62 prisons. Team structures were captured in the data with specific regard to the number of available professional sessions. Results Findings determine there is generally no correlation between input and prison capacity, although there was some evidence of correlation in the high secure (category A) estate and that the female estate was generally better served. Clinical implications It is evident from this study that PMHITs have evolved piecemeal, with no clear standards or equity across the estate. This is of concern. Declarations of interest None.

The Development of a Prison Mental Health Unit in England: Understanding Realist Context(s)

International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 2020

A pragmatic solution for the provision of care for prisoners with serious mental illness, who are often subject to delays in hospital transfer, is the creation of specialist prison units. This paper analyses the development of a prison unit in England for prisoners with 'serious mental illness'. The unit was developed within overlapping health and justice contexts, including expectations, pressures and priorities, which impacted on the outcomes expected and achieved. The methodology included attendance at Steering group meetings, analysis of a minimum dataset, and interviews with key stakeholders. A number of key sites of contestation are analyzed including: admission criteria; aims; activities; staffing; the physical environment; and discharge.

Mental Health in Prisons

2018

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.

Mental health services and prisoners: An updated review

2007

Aims and Objectives of the Research .............................................................................. 13 ... 2.2 An Epidemiological Review of Mental Disorders in Prisons ...................................... 17 ... SECTION 3 - REVIEW OF INTERVENTIONS FOR PRISONERS WITH MENTAL DISORDERS ............. ...

Growing health in UK prison settings

Health Promotion International

Globally, prisoners tend to come from marginalized and socially disadvantaged sections of the society and exhibit a high incidence of ill health, linked to social exclusion and multiple complex needs. Prisons therefore offer an important opportunity to tackle inequality and injustice, through promoting health, reducing reoffending and facilitating community reintegration.This paper reports on and critically discusses findings from an evaluative research study, which aimed to identify and explore impacts of prisoners’ participation in an innovative social and therapeutic horticultural programme, ‘Greener on the Outside for Prisons’ (GOOP), delivered in prisons in North West England. Focus groups with 16 prisoners and semi-structured interviews with six prison staff were conducted at five sites. Presented under three overarching themes (health and well-being; skills development, employability, and work preparedness; and relationships), findings suggest that engagement with and partici...