Experts warn of mental health care shortfall in London prisons
The scarcity of resources and persistent stigma has left London prisoners without the necessary support, highlighting a pressing need for comprehensive solutions.
Prisoners in London suffer from more mental health problems than non-incarcerated individuals, but do not have the resources to combat these issues.
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Prisoners in London are not receiving sufficient mental health care as a result of stigma and improper resources, says an NHS Director.
Stephen Cook, Deputy Director at the Mental Health NHS Trust for Barnet, Enfield, and Haringey, has joined forces with North London Mental Health Partnership in a new campaign, called ‘Someone like Me,’ which started on Monday.
The organisation is collaborating with NHS England on the project, and aims to shift perceptions about working in London’s prison mental health sector.
Stephen Cook is also its Managing Director of Specialist Services.
He says that prisoners in London aren’t getting enough support, claiming that the stigma surrounding these workplaces makes it difficult to offer proper care to prisoners.
“It’s a challenging area to recruit into prisons for a number of reasons”.
“It’s an environment which people are unfamiliar with, and there’s an image of prison healthcare which probably puts people off”.
“They think it’s purely about locking people in cells and that’s it, which it’s not. There’s a lot of really positive stuff that goes on in prisons.”
He also believes that those in prison receive insufficient mental health care in comparison to those who are not incarcerated, saying that prisoners are entitled to the same care as non-incarcerated individuals.
“Prison is an environment that invariably can trigger mental health issues. Being in prison can be terribly, terribly traumatising.”
Mental health challenges in prisons
A recent report released by the Prison Reform Trust revealed that high levels of mental health problems are common among those who are incarcerated, with around three in five men and more than four in five women reporting psychological issues.
Commonly reported problems include anxiety and depression, psychosis, and personality disorders, with psychosis more common in London prisons.
Many prisoners also face additional related risks such as self-harm and suicide attempts.
Statistics show that both female and male prisoners across the UK suffer from multiple clinical mental health symptoms while incarcerated, including mood disorders, alcohol abuse, and PTSD.
Emily Evison, Policy Officer at the Prison Reform Trust, told City News that prisons are not equipped well enough to deal with these growing psychological issues.
“A lack of support at early stages increases the likelihood of conditions deteriorating, which then places further pressures on services”.
“Many staff are doing all they can, but without proper support, people are more likely to turn to other coping mechanisms like self-harm or self-medication through recreational and nonprescribed drugs.”
A Draft Mental Health Bill was introduced in 2022, providing a legal 28-day deadline for authorities to transfer prisoners from prisons to hospitals.
However, despite the years-long effort, the bill was absent from the King’s Speech in November 2023, leading to uncertainty about its return to Parliament.
Members of the Prison Reform Trust urge the government to change their approach to mental health law.
“We also need to drastically reduce the number of severely mentally unwell people in prisons. To do this there needs to be urgent reform to mental health law. The government has failed to follow through on this.”
Emily Evison, Policy Officer at the Prison Reform Trust
Economic challenges
Angela Montgomery, Assistant General Secretary of POA, The Professional Trades Union for Prison, Correctional & Secure Psychiatric Workers, told City News that recent economic issues have exacerbated the issue.
“I believe that since 2008, there has been a reduction in funding for healthcare provisions, essentially putting us in a recession.
“Additionally, the cost of living crisis has further worsened the situation. It’s challenging to get people the support they need, especially for those with mental health issues, as community support is lacking.”
City News approached the Ministry of Justice, the government entity responsible for the prison system, for comment, but has not received a response.
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HeadlineExperts warn of mental health care shortfall in London prisons
Short HeadlineLondon prisoners experience mental health neglect
StandfirstThe scarcity of resources and persistent stigma has left London prisoners without the necessary support, highlighting a pressing need for comprehensive solutions.
Prisoners in London are not receiving sufficient mental health care as a result of stigma and improper resources, says an NHS Director.
Stephen Cook, Deputy Director at the Mental Health NHS Trust for Barnet, Enfield, and Haringey, has joined forces with North London Mental Health Partnership in a new campaign, called ‘Someone like Me,’ which started on Monday.
The organisation is collaborating with NHS England on the project, and aims to shift perceptions about working in London’s prison mental health sector.
Stephen Cook is also its Managing Director of Specialist Services.
He says that prisoners in London aren’t getting enough support, claiming that the stigma surrounding these workplaces makes it difficult to offer proper care to prisoners.
“It’s a challenging area to recruit into prisons for a number of reasons”.
“It’s an environment which people are unfamiliar with, and there’s an image of prison healthcare which probably puts people off”.
“They think it’s purely about locking people in cells and that’s it, which it’s not. There’s a lot of really positive stuff that goes on in prisons.”
He also believes that those in prison receive insufficient mental health care in comparison to those who are not incarcerated, saying that prisoners are entitled to the same care as non-incarcerated individuals.
“Prison is an environment that invariably can trigger mental health issues. Being in prison can be terribly, terribly traumatising.”
Mental health challenges in prisons
A recent report released by the Prison Reform Trust revealed that high levels of mental health problems are common among those who are incarcerated, with around three in five men and more than four in five women reporting psychological issues.
Commonly reported problems include anxiety and depression, psychosis, and personality disorders, with psychosis more common in London prisons.
Many prisoners also face additional related risks such as self-harm and suicide attempts.
Statistics show that both female and male prisoners across the UK suffer from multiple clinical mental health symptoms while incarcerated, including mood disorders, alcohol abuse, and PTSD.
Emily Evison, Policy Officer at the Prison Reform Trust, told City News that prisons are not equipped well enough to deal with these growing psychological issues.
“A lack of support at early stages increases the likelihood of conditions deteriorating, which then places further pressures on services”.
“Many staff are doing all they can, but without proper support, people are more likely to turn to other coping mechanisms like self-harm or self-medication through recreational and nonprescribed drugs.”
A Draft Mental Health Bill was introduced in 2022, providing a legal 28-day deadline for authorities to transfer prisoners from prisons to hospitals.
However, despite the years-long effort, the bill was absent from the King’s Speech in November 2023, leading to uncertainty about its return to Parliament.
Members of the Prison Reform Trust urge the government to change their approach to mental health law.
“We also need to drastically reduce the number of severely mentally unwell people in prisons. To do this there needs to be urgent reform to mental health law. The government has failed to follow through on this.”
Emily Evison, Policy Officer at the Prison Reform Trust
Economic challenges
Angela Montgomery, Assistant General Secretary of POA, The Professional Trades Union for Prison, Correctional & Secure Psychiatric Workers, told City News that recent economic issues have exacerbated the issue.
“I believe that since 2008, there has been a reduction in funding for healthcare provisions, essentially putting us in a recession.
“Additionally, the cost of living crisis has further worsened the situation. It’s challenging to get people the support they need, especially for those with mental health issues, as community support is lacking.”
City News approached the Ministry of Justice, the government entity responsible for the prison system, for comment, but has not received a response.
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