Reducing Prisoner Re-offending
| Published date | 01 June 2002 |
| Date | 01 June 2002 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/026455050204900218 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
21-year-olds are held on remand, and
and outside of prison.
experience all the dislocation and
disruption that short periods of
The report covers issues such as:
imprisonment generally bring.
prevalence (e.g studies variously estimate
that, depending on the criteria used,
•
More secure settings which meet the
30-90% of young people display signs of
mental health needs of young offenders,
mental disorder); risk factors (the range of
e.g. by actively encouraging family
problems associated with offending and
contact and links with the community, and
mental ill health overlap, and addressing
by providing more education and training
the full range of difficulties is necessary to
opportunities.
reduce the risk of offending); suicide and
•
Improved prison regimes, e.g. through
self-harm (e.g. a third of young female
more training for staff in adolescent
prisoners have reported attempts at
mental health, more emphasis on ‘family
suicide, and rates of self-harm have
liaison officers’ which some prisons have
increased significantly during the last five
introduced, and improved first night in
years, and are especially high for young
custody and induction programmes.
people).
•
An end to imprisonment for those
Recommendations – In order to meet the
under 18 years of age and a recognition
mental health needs of young offenders,
that young people who offend are children
there should be:
first and foremost.
•
Early interventions to prevent young
This is not a particularly detailed or
people with mental illness entering prison.
discursive report, but rather a useful
More comprehensive community mental
starting point – the author is careful to
health services should include services
focus on the responsibilities as well as the
such as school counsellors and trained
rights of young people, and her
youth workers.
recommendations are supported by a range
of organisations such as the NSPCC and
•
Better assessment of mental health
the Standing Committee on...
To continue reading
Request your trial