This article describes two projects that have been trying to steer mentally ill offenders away from prison. Since January 2009, two magistrates’ courts (one in Stratford, east London, the other in Brighton, Sussex) have been piloting mental health courts. As part of this programme, a mental health practitioner screens those arriving from police custody and prison, and, where necessary, carries out an assessment. Information from this assessment is taken into account by the magistrate when deciding how to deal with each case. If a person is identified as having mental health problems, community treatment is sought, rather than a custodial sentence. For those that are imprisoned, the assessment arrives with them to ensure their particular needs or risks are identified from the outset. The author concludes that, aside from the compelling moral argument for diverting people with mental health problems away from prison into community services, there are economic benefits too – figures suggest that a custodial sentence costs £13,125 on average, compared to a community order costing £1,500 to £4,000.
This article describes two projects that have been trying to steer mentally ill offenders away from prison. Since January 2009, two magistrates’ courts (one in Stratford, east London, the other in Brighton, Sussex) have been piloting mental health courts. As part of this programme, a mental health practitioner screens those arriving from police custody and prison, and, where necessary, carries out an assessment. Information from this assessment is taken into account by the magistrate when deciding how to deal with each case. If a person is identified as having mental health problems, community treatment is sought, rather than a custodial sentence. For those that are imprisoned, the assessment arrives with them to ensure their particular needs or risks are identified from the outset. The author concludes that, aside from the compelling moral argument for diverting people with mental health problems away from prison into community services, there are economic benefits too – figures suggest that a custodial sentence costs £13,125 on average, compared to a community order costing £1,500 to £4,000.
Subject terms:
law courts, mental health problems, mentally disordered offenders, non-custodial treatment, assessment;
The Troubled Family Unit was launched by the government in December 2011 to provide targeted support to families with multiple problems. Yet despite mental health problems often being an intrinsic feature of these families, there has been little guidance on how mental health services will be involved in this new initiative. The importance of taking both a long term and a 'spend to save' approach is highlighted. A short case study of Participle's LIFE (Lives for Individuals and Families to Enjoy), a programme to provide support for families with multiple and complex problems, also shows the importance of involving specific mental health expertise in this type of work.
The Troubled Family Unit was launched by the government in December 2011 to provide targeted support to families with multiple problems. Yet despite mental health problems often being an intrinsic feature of these families, there has been little guidance on how mental health services will be involved in this new initiative. The importance of taking both a long term and a 'spend to save' approach is highlighted. A short case study of Participle's LIFE (Lives for Individuals and Families to Enjoy), a programme to provide support for families with multiple and complex problems, also shows the importance of involving specific mental health expertise in this type of work.
Subject terms:
intervention, mental health problems, mental health services, families, family support, government policy;