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Home Industry News Mental health issues in criminal justice system ‘need regular checks’

Mental health issues in criminal justice system ‘need regular checks’

24th March 2017

People who are diagnosed with a mental health problem within the criminal justice system should receive annual checks, according to new guidance.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published recommendations calling for staff to receive training to help them identify warning signs and deal with mental health issues in a more sensitive, educated manner.

It called for everyone working in the criminal justice system to work closely together to provide ad-hoc mental health checks when an offender experiences a major life event, such as a difficult court case or a transfer to a different custodial setting.

The guidance also recommended that police and medical staff to work together to handle emergency public mental health incidents, while every person who enters prison should be assessed for their risk of suicide or self-harm before they are allocated to a cell.

Currently, up to 90 percent of people in prison are believed to have some form of mental health problem, with nearly 200 suicides occurring in UK prisons last year.

Professor Mark Baker, director of the centre for guidelines at NICE, said: "Providing care in a restrictive environment is challenging, but this cannot be an excuse. People in prison must receive the same level of care as those outside."

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