Mental ill health issues among offenders are significant.
- Over 100 people killed themselves in prison in England and Wales in 2016 – the highest number since records began in 1978.[2]
- In 2015 there were just over 32,000 self-harm incidents by 9,500 people – a rise of just under 26 per cent, compared to 2005.
- 33 per cent of male and 51 per cent of female prisoners suffer from depression, compared to 9 per cent and 13 per cent in the general population.[3]
London has more offenders than any other area in England and Wales – 17 per cent of all offenders (75,000) and reoffenders (18,000).[4]
Overcrowding is a major issue. In 2016, just over 60 per cent of prisons were overcrowded.[5] HM Prison Wandsworth holds 50 per cent more prisoners than it should.[6]
Poorly treated mental health can lead to higher rates of re-offending. Tackling reoffending takes up almost 70 per cent of criminal justice spending in London.
The London Assembly Health Committee will tomorrow discuss the mental health challenges facing prisoners and ex-offenders in London.
The Committee will examine the quality of mental health support in prisons, the extent to which mental health is prioritised during probation and how ex-offenders are reintegrated back into communities. The guests are:
- Sinéad Dervin, Senior Mental Health Commissioning Manager, Health in Justice Team, NHS England
- Glyn Thomas, Head of Implementation, Health in Justice Team, NHS England
- Jacob Tas, Chief Executive, NACRO
- Cassie Newman, Head of Contracts and Partnerships, London Community Rehabilitation Company
- Andy Bell, Deputy Chief Executive, Centre for Mental Health
The meeting will take place on Wednesday, 19 April at 10:00am in The Chamber at City Hall (The Queen’s Walk, London SE1).
Media and members of the public are invited to attend. The meeting can also be viewed via webcast.
Follow us @LondonAssembly and take part in the discussion using #AssemblyHealth and #MentalHealth.
Notes to editors
- Full agenda papers
- 2016 becomes worst year ever recorded for suicides in prisons, The Howard League for Penal Reform, November 2016
- Rebalancing Act: A resource for Directors of Public Health, Police and Crime Commissioners and other health and justice commissioners, service providers and users, Public Health England and Opening Doors, January 2017, p.28
- MOPAC Justice Matters
- Prison Population Statistics, House of Commons Library, July 2016, p.14
- Prison Population Statistics, House of Commons Library, July 2016, p.15
- Dr Onkar Sahota AM, Chair of the Health Committee is available for interview. See contact details below.
- London Assembly Health Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Lisa Lam on 020 7983 4067. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.