Editorial – Dr Coral Sirdifield and Charlie Brooker
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/20662203221146006 |
| Published date | 01 December 2022 |
| Date | 01 December 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Editorial |
Editorial
European Journal of Probation
2022, Vol. 14(3) 175–178
© The Author(s) 2022
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DOI: 10.1177/20662203221146006
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Editorial –Dr Coral Sirdifield
and Charlie Brooker
It is timely that the publication of this special edition of the Journal coincides with the on-
going development of a Council of Europe White Paper on mental health in prisons and
probation. The Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP), in accordance with its
terms of reference for 2020–2021 (Doc. CM (2019) 131-addrev2), examined, in the
course of 8 meetings in 2021 and 2022, the management of persons with mental health
disorders by the prison and probation services, the challenges which might be faced by
prison and probation staff in relation to this and what possible solutions and standards
might need to be developed at European level. A questionnaire was sent to the prison and
probation services of the Council of Europe member States to take stock of the situation
and to inform the setting of key principles and recommendations.
The survey established that there was a national policy for probation and mental health
in just over half of the countries/jurisdictions (53%). This contrasted sharply with prisons
where policy exists in nearly all countries/jurisdictions (93%). Clearly for probation,
much remains to be done at a national level. A similar disparity was seen in relation to
mental health awareness training with 74% of prison staff receiving some sort of training
compared to only 37% of probation staff. It is worth noting that in 25 countries/
jurisdictions probation staff are not provided with any training on mental health issues.
Estimates of the prevalence of mental health disorders varied significantly in prisons
ranging from 0 to 80% (median = 18%) whilst in probation they ranged from 2 to 90%
(median 15%). It is worth reiterating that all respondents were given the same WHO
definition to use in their answers:
‘According to the World Health Organization, mental disorders are: depression, bipolar
affective disorder, schizophrenia and other psychosis, dementia and developmental disorders,
including autism’
Only four jurisdictions collected prevalence data routinely in probation and these were:
Northern Ireland (UK), Catalonia (Spain) and the States of Berlin and Brandenburg
(Germany).
In prison, most inmates were screened at intake/admission and when leaving prison.
Screening in probation took place mostly at the court stage and before leaving prison (for
probation services which deal with released prisoners). The tools that were used are
various. Two probation services that have in-house forensic mental health teams, Malta
and Northern Ireland use: the BDI (Beck Depression Inventory); the STAX (used to assess
personality disorder); the GAD (Generalised Anxiety and Depression scale) and the PDE
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