NCJ Number
134985
Date Published
1991
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This study examines current resettlement services provided to mentally ill ex-offenders by statutory and voluntary agencies in England and Wales and offers recommendations for improvement.
Abstract
The study found that current resettlement services for mentally ill ex-offenders are fragmented and uncoordinated. There is no clear strategy across relevant government departments to ensure that services are available. No one department has primary responsibility for the care of mentally disturbed offenders. This study first recommends that mentally ill offenders not be sent to prison. Alternative ways should be found to manage these offenders in the community. At the national level, the Department of Health should assume primary responsibility for the care and resettlement of such offenders. This department should work with the Home Office and the Departments of the Environment and Social Security to develop a corporate government approach to resettlement and ensure that a coordinated service is provided and resourced. Current definitions of mental illness should be reviewed in terms of the criteria and the provisions of the 1983 Mental Health Act. The National Health Service should assume responsibility for the treatment of mentally ill offenders and allocate resources accordingly. At the local level, interagency forums should be established including the health authority, local authority housing and social services departments, the local department of social service, the probation service, and voluntary agencies. 18 references