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In this month's edition...
New address
Clinks has moved office. Our new address is: Clinks, Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JJ. Find out more about how to contact us here
Cabinet and non-Cabinet reshuffle: Department of Health and Social Care
The Prime Minister announced a cabinet reshuffle on the 13th February 2020. The Rt. Hon Matt Hancock MP remained as Secretary of State for Health, and Helen Whately MP was newly appointed as Minister of State (Minister for Care), overseeing all aspects of adult social care, including dementia, loneliness and disabilities, as well as community health services and health and social care integration. Baroness Blackwood resigned as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, and Nadine Dorries MP remained as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for patient safety, suicide prevention and mental health. Read more here
Cabinet and non-Cabinet Reshuffle: Ministry of Justice
At the Ministry of Justice, the Rt. Hon Robert Buckland QC MP remained as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Lucy Frazer QC MP remained as Minister of State for Prisons and Probation. Chris Philp MP has remained as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, though this is now a joint role with the Home Office. His responsibilities include sentencing, and court and tribunal fees. The department has a further two new ministers: Alex Chalk MP as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, who was previously on the Justice Select Committee, with responsibilities including race disparity in the justice system, mental capacity, and domestic abuse and violence, and Kit Malthouse MP as Minister of State, a role that is also joint with Home Office. Malthouse’s responsibilities include reducing reoffending and electronic monitoring – both as joint responsibilities with Lucy Frazer. Read more here
Chairs of House of Commons Select Committees elected
Elections have been held for the chairs of the House of Commons Select Committees. Former Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt has been elected as Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee. In his election statement, Hunt committed to an annual report into Government progress on expanding the capacity of the mental health system to meet its objectives. Conservative MP Sir Robert Neill has been re-elected as Chair of the Justice Select Committee. In his statement, Neill noted upcoming challenges and opportunities to the justice sector, including pressures on the prison system, proposed judicial reform, and problems with access to justice. Clinks is writing to Sir Robert Neill to welcome him back to post, and highlight policy priorities for the sector. Read more here
Introduction of x-ray scanners in 16 prisons
The Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service has announced that £28 million will be spent installing x-ray body scanners into 16 prisons across England and Wales, funded through a £100 million government package to address violence and substance misuse within prisons. The prisons receiving scanners are HMP Exeter, Durham, Preston, Liverpool, Birmingham, Hewell, Lincoln, Bedford, Norwich, Chelmsford, Winchester, Elmley, Pentonville, Wandsworth, Bristol and Cardiff. Installation at the 16 prisons will begin in spring 2020, with all scanners expected to be in place by the summer. The technology is set to be introduced in other prisons across the estate later this year. Read more information here
International conference on knife crime and youth violence
The Institute of Mental Health Nottingham is hosting an international conference on knife crime and youth violence [26th March, Nottingham, £138]. The aim of the conference is to review the evidence on the prevalence, prediction and prevention of knife crime in England and Wales and to learn from other countries experiences of working to reduce youth violence. A multi-sector approach will be promoted to engage the problem through national and local authorities, police, health, social and criminal justice services working together to prevent knife crime and youth violence. Young people will also contribute to the conference by sharing their experiences. Speakers will include Martin Griffiths, NHS England knife crime specialist and surgeon and clinical director for violence reduction. Find out more about the event here
Mental healthcare in prisons 2020 conference
The King’s Fund is hosting a conference held in partnership by Care UK, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Trust, and Inclusion (part of Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) on the delivery of healthcare in prisons [7th May, London, £99]. The conference will be an opportunity to hear from all partners involved in the delivery of healthcare in prisons, including those with lived experience, interspersed with debates and Q&A opportunities. Discussions will include why collaboration is so important, the challenges of delivering mental health services in prisons, trauma-informed care, the challenges of working ‘through the gate’ and how we can best support staff within such complex environments to deliver effective support for mental health.Find out more about the event here
Safety in custody quarterly bulletin
The Ministry of Justice has published the latest safety in custody statistics for England and Wales. In the year leading up to December 2019, there were 300 deaths in prison custody, a decrease of 8% from 325 deaths the previous 12 months. Of these, 84 deaths were self-inflicted, a 9% decrease from the previous 12 months. Self-harm incidents reached a record high of 61,461 incidents in the 12 months to September 2019, up 16% from the previous 12 months. Notably, self-harm is much more prevalent in women in prison, with a rate of 633 incidents per 1,000 men in prison in the 12 months to September 2019, compared to a rate of 3,007 incidents per 1,000 women in prison. Read the full report here
Inquest report on deaths in prison
INQUEST has published a report titled Deaths in prison: a national scandal. It details statistics on historically high levels of deaths in prison since 2016, and notes that alongside self-inflicted deaths in prison, there are a high proportion of premature and preventable deaths in which inadequate healthcare provision was a significant factor. INQUEST’s analysis of records of inquests (ROIs) and prevention of future death (PFD) reports show that five main areas of concern that coroners recorded as contributing to premature deaths are: inconsistent and insufficient mental healthcare; failure to provide basic medical care; failures in communication between healthcare, mental health and prison staff; delayed emergency response; and issues relating to prescription and illicit drugs. Read the full report here
Alcohol and drug treatment in secure settings 2018 to 2019
Public Health England has published annual statistics on alcohol and drug treatment in secure settings from 2018-19. Figures show a continued drop in the number of people in treatment within prison. There were 53,193 adults in alcohol and drug treatment between April 2018 and March 2019. 90% of these were men and 10% were women, though this is double the proportion of women in the total prison population. 35% of people starting treatment were identified as having a mental health need, and 50% reported problems with opiate use. After release, the proportion of adults receiving treatment services in prison successfully starting community treatment within three weeks of leaving prison was just 34% in 2018 to 2019. Read the report here
Quarterly statistics on people in contact with the criminal justice system
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published its quarterly bulletin on the management of people in the criminal justice system, reporting from July to September 2019. The total number of people on probation at the end of September 2019 was 252,197 – a 2% decrease from September 2018. During July to September 2019, 19,589 people started community orders, a decrease of 3% compared to the same quarter in 2018. 30,490 requirements were started under community orders from July to September 2019, with alcohol treatments increasing by 10%, and drug treatments increasing 4% since the same quarter in 2018. Additionally, 14,144 requirements were started under suspended sentence orders, with rehabilitation activity and drug treatment increasing by 5% and 6% respectively since the same period in 2018. Read the full report here
Tackling racial disparity in the criminal justice system: 2020 update
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published an annual update on its work to tackle race disparity in the criminal justice system, including how it is responding to each recommendation made in the Lammy Review into the treatment of, and outcomes for, black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) individuals. This report did not specifically look into health inequalities but nonetheless contained relevant information on this. The report updates on progress on recommendations that called for greater collaboration between the Department for Health and the prison system to address health concerns. Clinks supported the Lammy Review to engage with voluntary organisations, and we continue to work alongside BAME-led organisations to encourage the government to fully implement the Reviews’ recommendations. Read the full report here
Kay facts on health in prisons
The Prison Reform Trust has published the winter 2019 edition of its Bromley Briefing series, a statistical overview of the prison system. Key facts on health in prisons include: under a third of men (32%) and less than a quarter of women in prison (22%) said it was easy to see a doctor; 36% of people in prison are estimated to have a physical or mental disability; 67% of women and 43% of men surveyed in prison reported having mental health problems; nearly half (47%) of all adults receiving treatment in custody had problematic alcohol use; and NHS England estimates that it spends approximately 20% of all prison healthcare spending on substance misuse services. Read the full briefing here
Improving the prison estate
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ), HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and National Audit Office have published a report examining the condition and capacity of HMPPS’s prison estate, its approach to maintaining prisons, and progress it has made in transforming the estate. Key findings include: a 73% increase in self-harm incidents between 2015-2018; 378 self-inflicted deaths in custody between 2015-18; and the 10 most crowded prisons found to be running at or above 147% of their uncrowded capacity. An overriding recommendation of the report was for HMPPS to develop a coherent, long-term strategy for the prison estate that extends beyond annual and Spending Review budget cycles. Read the report here
Monitoring the Mental Health Act
The Care Quality Commission has published a report on the use of the Mental Health Act (MHA). Under section 136 of the MHA, a police officer may remove someone who appears to be suffering from a mental disorder and ‘in need of care of control’ from a public space, to be taken to a health-based place of safety (HBPoS). A police station can be used if it meets the requirements of the MHA (Places of Safety) Regulations 2017. However, the report notes that using a police station rather than a HBPoS, ‘compromises the basic human rights principles of fairness and equality, and in some cases compromises a person’s dignity’. Nevertheless, from 2016-19, the number of times a police station was used because the person was arrested for a substantive offence rose from 47 instances to 69. Read the full report here
Drug and alcohol treatment for people sleeping rough
St Mungo’s has published a report, Knocked Back, on the growing number of deaths from substance and alcohol misuse among people sleeping rough. The report found that 12,000 people sleeping rough, or at risk of doing so, missed out on life-saving drug and alcohol treatment in 2018/19, noting that this problem is compounded by cuts to other services, such as mental health, criminal justice and homelessness services. The report found that in 2018-19, 82% of people sleeping rough with drug and alcohol problems had experience of prison, compared to 79% in 2014-15. Read the full report here
Non-custodial sentences
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) has published a report on non-custodial sentences. The report provides an overview, background and evaluation of the effectiveness of non-custodial sentences, as well as policy considerations. The report states that in the year ending June 2019, 90% of people sentenced in England and Wales were given non-custodial sentences. Research shows that reoffending rates tend to be lower for non-custodial sentences and they are also less costly. The report also considered the use of community orders instead of short custodial sentences to reduce the high turnover of people in the prison system, and looked at public attitudes towards non-custodial sentences – finding that people were more favourable to them when better informed of their outcomes. Read the full report here
Youth justice statistics
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Office for National Statistics and Youth Justice Board have published the latest youth justice statistics for England and Wales. Findings include: the number of children who received a caution or sentence has fallen by 83% over the last ten years, with a 19% fall in the last year. However, the average custodial sentence length has increased by more than six months over the last ten years, from 11.4 to 17.7 months. Whilst the proportion of white children in youth custody has fallen from 72% to 51% over the last ten years, the proportion of black children has increased the most, now accounting for 28% of the youth custody population in 2019, from 15% in 2009. Read the full report here
Young people’s perspectives on knife crime
Nacro has published a report on young people, knife crime and the impact of longer prison sentences on young people. The report, which was based on statistics and interviews with young people, found that harsher penalties would not stop people carrying knives. There was little knowledge amongst young people about the level of punishment for knife crimes, and fear and self-preservation were seen as more important. Nacro has welcomed the government’s public health approach to knife crime, but further recommended that such an approach takes a system-wide multi-agency approach that involves businesses and volunteers that provide young people-led solutions. Nacro also recommends avoiding short custodial sentences and calls for a trauma-informed response in safeguarding young people at risk of or affected by knife crime. Read the full report here
Working with people in the criminal justice system showing personality difficulties
NHS England and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) have published the third edition of a practitioners guide produced for all staff working with people in the criminal justice system showing personality difficulties that are likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for personality disorder. The guide includes sections on how to identify personality difficulties, how personality difficulties develop, staff wellbeing, psychologically informed management approaches, and how to present and consult on cases. There are specific notes for working with young adults, women, black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people and people with learning difficulties. You can access the full guide here
Out-of-hours service guidance
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has updated its guidance for professionals on how to use the Mental Health Casework Section (MHSC) out-of-hours service. The MHCS operates an out-of-hours service to make urgent or emergency (non-medical) decisions for restricted patients, only in cases which cannot wait for normal office hours. The service also enables hospitals and supervisory teams to seek urgent advice from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in real time. The decisions or events which are likely to involve calls to the out-of-hours service include urgent remissions to prison, and ’significant developments in cases’ for those in contact with the criminal justice system who are experiencing poor mental health and have a high profile nationally. More information can be found here
People in contact with the criminal justice system
Grants from the Frieda Scott Charitable Trust are available to local voluntary and charitable organisations for community-based projects that benefit families, young people and older adults in the old County of Westmorland and the area covered by South Lakeland District Council. Grants of between £200 and £20,000 are available; however, the average grant is below £10,000. The Trust aims to support areas including: people with disabilities, mental health problems and/or learning difficulties; prevention and rehabilitation for people in contact with the criminal justice system; those recovering from substance abuse; and older people. Grants are considered on a rolling basis. More information can be found here
The end of the road – lessons and reflections from a charity preventing sexual harm
Tammy Banks, former CEO of re:shape, has written a guest blog for Clinks on the recent closure of re:shape – a charity that worked with people who were a risk of causing sexual harm or who had already caused harm. Banks saw a rapid rise in the demand for re:shape’s services through her time as CEO, with referrals increasing from the National Probation Service, police, prisons, local authorities, NHS, charity projects, religious communities, and individuals themselves. In the context of a difficult funding environment coinciding with increasing reliance on voluntary services, the charity was forced to close. A selection of re:shape’s services will continue under an umbrella of other organisations, but unfortunately many areas, including Yorkshire, will have no service available. Read the blog here
‘Don’t worry Miss, it’s not serious’
Clinks has published a blog featuring Kim Turner’s essay for our Crime and Consequence book and podcast series. Turner is a speech and language therapist who has worked in the justice system for over 10 years. The essay notes inequitable access to justice for individuals with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN), and the difficulties they face understanding court proceedings and the impact of sentences. People in contact with the criminal justice system have significantly higher levels of SLCN than the general population (50%+ vs. 5–7% in the general population), and this may be associated with other conditions, such as learning disabilities. SLCN are often referred to as a ‘hidden disability’; being hard to recognise and therefore difficult to support. Read the blog here
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About Clinks Health and justice bulletin
This regular bulletin provides Clinks members with the latest news for voluntary organisations involved in the health and care of people in the criminal justice system. It currently has 2,428 subscribers.
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