Taking DNA samples without consent from mentally disordered offenders: The impact of Home Office Circular 27/1997

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 413-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Brownlee
Keyword(s):  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Invited commentary on The mental health of prisoners

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-201
Author(s):  
Tony Maden
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
National Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
The Government

Psychiatrists have always been concerned about the mental health of prisoners. If they did not devote much energy to their treatment, it was only because they had more-pressing problems, including how to squeeze ten patients into nine beds. In any case, it was someone else's job to look after prisoners. Luke Birmingham's article (Birmingham, 2003, this issue) could not be more timely, as this situation has now changed. With the publication of The Future Organisation of Prison Healthcare (Prison Service & NHS Executive Working Group, 1999), and the creation of a joint Department of Health and Home Office task force, the Government has made it clear that the problem of mentally disordered offenders belongs to the National Health Service (NHS). There is a plan, there is a partnership and there are targets. Can those of us who have been worrying about prisoners with mental illness sit back and relax, as the solution unfolds?

Audit of transfers under the Mental Health Act from prison – the impact of organisational change

2002 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 368-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Isherwood ◽  
Janet Parrott
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Care Provision ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Average Delay ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Prison Health ◽  
The Impact

AIMS AND METHODTo describe the change in the number of referrals of prisoners and the delay in transfer to hospital under the Mental Health Act following a change in the prison health care provision. The transfer time (time from referral to transfer to psychiatric hospital) of prisoners has been audited previously over 1996 and 1997.RESULTSThere has been an increase in the number of prisoners transferred. Both transfers under Section 48 of the Mental Health Act and the proportion of transfers to high security have increased. The average delay in transfer remains lengthy and there is a trend of increasing delay with increasing level of placement security.CLINICAL IMPLICATIONSDespite Government policies to facilitate the transfer of mentally disordered offenders, we found an increase in the delay to hospital compared with previous audits.

Mental Disorder amongst Defendants in Liverpool Magistrates' Court

1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare J Brabbins ◽  
Raymond F Travers
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Alcohol Problems ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
General Psychiatry ◽  
Police Policy ◽  
Offending Behaviour ◽  
Drug And Alcohol

The Home Office advocates development of court liaison schemes to divert mentally disordered offenders into the care of health and social services. No-one has yet evaluated the amount of mental disorder that existing schemes fail to identify. We interviewed 136 defendants who had been detained by the police prior to their first appearance in Liverpool Magistrates' Court for their current alleged offence. We found very little mental illness but high levels of drug and alcohol misuse. Merseyside police policy advocates diversion at the earliest possible point and local general psychiatry services are willing to assess and treat offenders. The defendants with drug and alcohol problems are, however, neglected by the current initiatives in providing for this group. Addressing this need in a population which might not otherwise come to the attention of services could have an impact on personal and public health as well as on offending behaviour.

scholarly journals The Home Office Mental Health Unit

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 450-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayanth Srinivas ◽  
Sarah Denvir ◽  
Martin Humphreys
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Home Office ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Mental Health Unit ◽  
Structure And Functions

Over the years, the number of mentally disordered offenders in England and Wales subject to restriction orders has steadily increased. The Home Secretary, through the Mental Health Unit at the Home Office, is responsible for overseeing the treatment of these individuals. As psychiatrists work in partnership with the Mental Health Unit in the treatment of these patients, it is essential to understand the Unit's role and functions. In this article, we describe the philosophy, structure and functions of the Mental Health Unit and its statutory role in the care of mentally disordered offenders subject to restriction orders.

scholarly journals Mildly mentally handicapped offenders: an alternative to custody

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 199-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Johnson ◽  
Jeanette Smith ◽  
Geoff Stainer ◽  
Martin Donovan
Keyword(s):  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Psychiatric Treatment ◽  
Penal System ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Mentally Handicapped ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Medium Security ◽  
Special Hospitals

Concern is increasingly being expressed about the lack of provision for mentally disordered offenders, who by default end up within the penal system. Gunn et al (1991) in a study of sentenced prisoners identified a significant number who were mentally disordered to be in need of psychiatric treatment. Among these, 0.4% were considered to be mentally handicapped. Recent reports have emphasised the importance of diverting these individuals from the criminal justice system (Woolf & Tumin, 1991; Home Office, 1990; British Medical Association, 1990). However, the majority of such offenders do not fulfil the criteria for admission to hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983. Most are not overtly mentally ill and do not require treatment in conditions of medium security such as exist in regional secure units. However, it is not clear what provision there should be for such individuals. Smith (1988) described an open forensic unit for mildly mentally handicapped offenders (the Leander Unit). She concluded that there was a need for a specialised service to cater for these patients, who were neither appropriately nor adequately provided for by the general psychiatric services, the mentally handicapped services, regional secure units or special hospitals. Unfortunately, in practice there are very few facilities for this group of patients.

Referrals to an out-patient forensic psychology service

1992 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 222-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Hambridge
Keyword(s):  
Community Care ◽  
Slow Growth ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Main Emphasis ◽  
Medium Security ◽  
Psychology Service ◽  
Patient Work ◽  
Forensic Psychiatric

Following the recommendations of the Butler Report (Home Office, 1975), there has been a slow growth in the number of Regional Secure Units (RSUs) (Snowden, 1985), which aim to assess and treat mentally disordered offenders in England and Wales in conditions of “medium security”. One particular recommendation of the Butler Report was that:“The main emphasis in forensic psychiatric services … should be on community care and out-patient work.” (paragraph 20.14)

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