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Prison mental health report welcome but investment also needed outside the prison gate
Nacro, the crime reduction charity has welcomed the publication of the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health report ‘Short-changed’, which argues for more resources for mental health prison in-reach teams.
Commenting, Lucy Smith, Nacro’s senior mental health policy adviser, said:
"Nacro welcomes the Sainsbury Centre report which recommends that teams working in prisons need more direction and should develop according to the needs of the prison population and not on the funding that has been historically available.
“However, Nacro would take this one stage further to ensure services outside the prison gate assist offenders and those at risk of offending.
“Money should be spent to ensure offenders with mental health needs are properly identified as early on as possible in the criminal justice system as part of mainstream community mental health provision.
“This would prevent vast numbers of people being inappropriately sent to custody."
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. The report ‘Short-changed’ is produced by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health and Lincoln University. It is available on the Sainsbury Centre web site www.scmh.org.uk.
2. Last year Nacro’s mental health unit produced a policy briefing on mental health and crime. Effective mental healthcare for offenders: the need for a fresh approach is available here:
http://www.nacro.org.uk/data/resources/nacro-2007101000.pdf
Mental health, Sainsbury Centre, prison, health, Lucy Smith
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