NCJ Number
174528
Journal
Criminal Behavior and Mental Health Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: 1998 Pages: 202-213
Date Published
1998
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article presents the follow-up to a prison study on the natural history of mental disorder in prisoners on remand.
Abstract
During the study, 569 unconvicted male remands to Durham prison were screened for mental disorder at prison reception by researchers and then monitored for the duration of their unconvicted remand to determine whether psychiatric treatment needs were identified and addressed. Sixty-three men (11 percent), including 40 (24 percent) of the 168 men with psychiatric treatment needs were referred to the psychiatric service. Six of the 16 men requiring immediate transfer to a psychiatric hospital came to the psychiatric service's attention. Of the 260 appointments made with mental health professionals, 63 (24 percent) were not kept and psychiatric intervention ended abruptly and prematurely in 10 cases. Ultimately, remand for most of the mentally disordered prisoners ended in a discharge at court or a conviction followed by a short custodial sentence. Tables, references