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In this month's edition...
Zahra Wynne, Health and Justice Policy and Development Officer is sadly leaving us next week and Clinks would like to take this opportunity to thank her for all her hard work and dedication. We are sad to see Zahra go and wish every success in her new role. We are recruiting for a Health and Justice Policy and Development Officer - find details in the News section below. Please contact nicola.drinkwater@clinks.org for queries concerning this bulletin going forward.
On the 9th June, Clinks hosted a webinar on the RECONNECT: Care after Custody service. We heard from Kate Morrissey, National Implementation Lead for RECONNECT, Revolving Doors Agency’s Lived Experience Team, (who provide lived experience insight into all NHS non-custodial health and justice services, and are members of the RECONNECT project board) and Tom, a current RECONNECT service user in Devon. We also saw presentations from RECONNECT providers in HMP Eastwood Park and Devon. Discussion during the event included how the voluntary sector can engage with the RECONNECT pathfinder sites, and how the upcoming enhanced RECONNECT service will work with people who require more complex case management. Read more in Kate Morrissey's blog on RECONNECT here
Clinks responded to the Department for Health and Social Care’s call for evidence to inform the development of the government’s Women’s Health Strategy, focusing on health inequalities experienced by women in the criminal justice system. Recommendations include involving the voluntary sector in the development and delivery of the next National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare in England, and ensuring maternity systems and teams have specialist pathways for the care of women in the criminal justice system. We also recommend that the voluntary sector delivering health and care services to women in contact with the criminal justice system is sustainably funded during and beyond Covid-19, commissioned with flexible contracts, and considered a key strategic partner to health and justice statutory agencies. We will publish this response soon.
Clinks responded to the Justice Select Committee’s inquiry into Women in Prison. We expressed concern about the lack of progress made in implementing the government’s female offender strategy. We recommend that services such as counselling should be offered to women soon as they come into prison to address high rates of self-harm in prison, and the government should utilise findings from Clinks’ report Whole prison, whole person in the development of guidance on a whole-prison approach to improving the health and wellbeing of people in prison. We also recommend the Ministry of Justice provides leadership in a strong cross-departmental strategy for the long-term financial sustainability of existing holistic services provided by women’s centres, and supports the creation of centres in areas where there is no, or inadequate, provision. We will publish this response as soon as we are able to.
Survey about tracking probation reform
The deadline for responses is next Friday for Clinks' survey investigating the voluntary sector’s experience of the probation reform programme. We want to hear your views, including perspectives from organisations: that chose not to qualify onto the Dynamic Framework or bid for contracts; that chose to engage but were unsuccessful at some point in the process; and those that won contracts. Clinks is undertaking this research with three partner organisations: the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Wolverhampton and the Institute for Voluntary Action Research. The responses and additional case studies will be used to create an in-depth report which will reflect the voluntary sector's experiences and detail lessons learnt that can be used to inform future commissioning processes. Take the survey here by the 2nd July
Clinks vacancy: Health and Justice Policy and Development Officer
We are seeking someone to join our team as our Health and Justice Policy and Development Officer [£32,996, full time, London (currently home working)]. You will be responsible for co-ordinating Clinks’ influencing activity in this area and developing and supporting voluntary sector organisations. Doing so will mean organisations are strategically connected to and have a voice in developments, emerging issues and policies that impact on health and justice. The role is also responsible for leading and developing Clinks’ activity to influence and promote service user involvement across the sector. Experience of leading on a policy brief and project managing grant funded activity are essential for this role. Find out more and apply by 12th July here
Physical contact in prisons
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has announced that as of 28th May, due to their lower transmission risk, children under 11 are allowed to hug the loved one they are visiting in prison. People in prison are now able to see more friends and family - visitors from two households can visit at the same time in an expansion of prison social visits. Find details of these updates in the HMPPS Twitter feed here. Individual adult prisons continue to be reviewed each week and updates about specific prisons can be found here. If you would like to receive regular updates on the status of adult prisons and which prisons have restarted social visits, please email covid19@clinks.org
Pre-sentence pilot reports
The Ministry of Justice has begun a pilot to increase the delivery of pre-sentence reports (PSRs) in 15 magistrates’ courts across England and Wales. This pilot was launched following the Sentencing White Paper that found there was a significant decrease in the number of PSRs being requested by the judiciary between 2010 and 2018. The pilot will evaluate whether this approach will improve outcomes for people convicted of offences, judicial confidence, and the administration of justice. This pilot is working with the new Target Operating Model for the new probation services, which aims to provide expert PSRs. Initial insights from the pilot are due to be collected after six months. Find out more in Senior Policy Officer Will Down’s blog on PSRs. Read more here
One thousand probation officers recruited
The Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service have announced that they have recruited 1,007 new probation officers, with a further 1,500 to be recruited by March 2022. The announcement states that probation officers will ensure people in contact with the criminal justice system access services that reduce the risk of reoffending, including substance and alcohol misuse treatment, accommodation and education. This additional resource is welcome, and we hope this step means probation officers will have reduced caseloads and can dedicate more time to providing support to people in contact with the criminal justice system. Read more here
Through the gate mentor service
The Mayor's Office for Police and Crime (MOPAC) is leading a tripartite project with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Kent PCC to commission a through-the-gate mentor service for Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution (YOI). The mentor service will be a holistic, trauma-informed service for young people preparing to leave the YOI. MOPAC is interested in exploring models which involve delivery led by the voluntary sector. MOPAC is hosting a market warming event [25th June, online, free] to shape its approach to commissioning and provide an opportunity for potential providers and broader stakeholders to comment on the service and ask any questions about the upcoming procurement. Find out more here
Working in UK prisons and secure hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic
The Centre for the Study of Emotion and Law, at the Royal Holloway University of London has produced a report into working in UK prisons and secure hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic, supported by a confidential survey of Prison Officers Association members that was undertaken in early 2021. The survey found high levels of anxiety and burn out. Respondents as a whole reported very low levels of emotional support in their workplace. 81% reported that their mental and physical health has deteriorated since the pandemic. When asked about the effectiveness of Covid-19 workplace safety measures, just over half the sample as a whole thought they were acceptable or good, while 35% thought practices were poor or very poor. Read the report here
Women demand better
Advance has published a report on the impact of abuse, trauma and the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s mental health. The report states that many women in prison and those with a conviction in the community experience co-occurring issues of mental illness, substance and/or alcohol misuse. It also finds that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant negative impact on women in contact with the criminal justice system, with increasing rates of self-harm incidents within women’s prisons, and increased risk from Covid-19 due to underlying health conditions that women in contact with the criminal justice system often have when compared to women in the general population. Advance is calling for trauma-informed, longer-term specialist services and funding for mental health to support women who are in contact with the criminal justice system. Read the report here
European drug report: trends and developments 2021
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction has published their annual European Drug Report on trends and developments in 2021. The report found that increased use of benzodiazepines was seen among people in prison in Europe, potentially reflecting the high availability and low cost of these substances and pandemic-related mental health issues. The report also found that substance misuse treatment services in prison settings reported service disruptions due to social distancing and restrictions on external service providers. Read more here
United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture’s report to the UK government
The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment has published findings from its first visit to the UK from September 2019. The subcommittee was concerned with high rates of chronic and acute mental health issues in detention, in particular within the prison population. The subcommittee recommended the development of a comprehensive national policy and strategy to ensure appropriate access to health care and mental health-care services across the criminal justice system, and for the government to abstain from using prisons as a ‘safe environment’ for those with mental health issues. The UK National Preventive Mechanism has shown support for these recommendations in its response to the report. Find the response here and read the report here
Supporting emotional health among people living with long-term conditions
Research shows that people in prison have a disproportionately high prevalence of risk factors for long-term conditions. A new report, Ask How I Am: Supporting emotional health among people living with long-term conditions has been co-produced by National Voices and the Centre for Mental Health, with support from a range of long-term conditions charities. It details the mental health needs of people living with physical ill health. It shows the impact long-term conditions can have on people, their relationships and jobs; what helps; what support is already available and works; and what needs to change to better emotionally support people living with long-term physical ill-health. Read more here
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire - Community Fund
The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire is offering grants to local community groups, organisations and individuals for new and innovative community safety projects in North Yorkshire. The fund will support organisations that provide services or deliver projects which aim to prevent people from having contact with the criminal justice system or that reduce re-offending. In the past, the fund has supported projects that work with people who have been or could potentially be victims of crime due to poor mental health or other vulnerabilities. It has also supported community mentoring services and training opportunities for vulnerable people at risk of having contact with the criminal justice system. Grants of between £500 and £20,000 are available. Apply by 29th July here
Walking for health and wellbeing
RECOOP has developed the ‘On Track’ virtual walk to help people with convictions increase their walking to help regain health and wellbeing during the restrictions placed on them by Covid-19 and beyond. ‘On Track’ maps 27 stages along the 873 mile journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats, giving walkers a realistic target to reach as they make their way up the country. Each walker has been given an ‘On Track’ booklet, together with a stepometer, to enable and encourage them to complete their journey. This has inspired one man in custody to write a blog about his experience. Updates will be added throughout the journey. Read more here
Talking about racism: what language do we use?
Clinks has published a blog giving an update on our work towards realising our ambition to be an antiracist organisation. We're making some changes to the language and messaging we use. In the future we will ensure we explicitly make the links between structural racism and specific racist policies and outcomes. In doing so we’ll make clear our stance that it’s no accident that racially minoritised people are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, and structural inequality is not immoveable. We’ll also stop using the BAME acronym. Find out more from Clinks’ Director of Influence and Communications Jessica Mullen. Read more 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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