Improving Resettlement For Mentally Disordered Offenders
| Published date | 01 September 1999 |
| Date | 01 September 1999 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/026455059904600305 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
187
Improving
Resettlement
For
Mentally
Disordered
Offenders
Rebekah
Southern
examines
existing
arrangements
for
post-release
resettlement
of
mentally
disordered
offenders,
focusing
in
particular
on
the
issues
of
inter-agency
working
and
housing.
She
concludes
with
a
number
of
basic
proposals,
which
she
argues
could
lead
to
significant
improvements
in
the
system.
t has
become
clear
that
without
adequate
resettlement
provision
on
release,
mentally
disordered
offenders
are
likely
to
end
up
in
a
cycle
of
repeat
offending,
resulting
in
a
return
to
the
Prison
System
(NACRO,
1991).
This
article
considers
resettlement
provision
for
mentally
disordered
offenders
(MDOs),
not
including
those
detained
in
special
hospitals
under
the
Mental
Health
Act
1983,
and
draws
on
the
results
of
a
small
number
of
confidential
interviews
with
professionals
involved
in
service
delivery.
Particular
emphasis
is
given
to
literature
examining
the
work
of
the
Wessex
Project -
a
multi-agency
action
research
project
designed
to
improve
access
to
and
take-up
of
health
and
social
care
services
for
MDO,
both
before
and
after their
release
from
Winchester
Prison.
Current Resettlement
Arrangements
Thee
are
three
formal
resettlement
mechanisms
currently
in
operation:
1.
The
Care
Programme
Approach
(CPA) -
Under
the
NHS
and
Community
Care
Act
(1990),
the
CPA
requires
District
Health
Authorities
to
collaborate
with
Social
Services
in
making
arrangements
for
the
treatment
and
care
of
mentally
disordered
people
in
the
community.
The
key
elements
of
the
approach
are:
.
Multi-disciplinary
assessment
for
health
and
social
care
needs.
.
Planning
of
a
care
programme
to
meet
those
needs.
Appointment
of
a
key
worker
to
monitor
and
co-ordinate
the
programme.
.
Regular
review
to
ensure
that
the
individual’s
needs
are
being
met.
In
1994,
The
NHS
Management
Executive
made
it
clear
that
this
should
apply
to
all
mentally
disordered
people
(DoH,
1995).
This
includes
MDOs
released
from
prison
and
should
ensure
that
the
health
and
social
care
needs
of
mentally
disordered
offenders
are
assessed
whilst
they
are
still
in
prison,
with
arrangements
made
for
service
provision
prior
to
release.
2.
Sentence
Management -
This
is
the
responsibility
of
the
Prison
Service
in
conjunction
with
other
agencies,
particularly
the
Probation
Service.
It
should
involve
assessment
and
planning
of
where
prisoners
should
serve
the
custodial
element
of
their
sentence
and
what
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