In this month's edition...
Alcohol monitoring statistics
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has released its most recent statistics on the use of alcohol monitoring in England and Wales. In November 2022, 1800 individuals were actively monitored with an alcohol monitoring device, this is nearly double the amount of those monitored at the end of December 2021, reflecting the national rollout of alcohol monitoring for prison leavers from June 2022. Of the alcohol tags used to monitor alcohol abstinence and monitoring requirements (AAMR), the tags did not register a tamper or alcohol alert 97.1% of the days worn since their introduction in October 2020. View the alcohol monitoring statistics.
The Advisory Council letter on young people’s drug use
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has published its letter on young people’s drug use. The ACMD undertook a review of search evidence relating to the prevalence of drug use and the commissioning of treatment services for young people. A key finding within the review includes an increase in drug usage over the last six years amongst those under 30 and those of school age. The review stimulates a lack of data and evidence and called for better research to understand young people’s substance misuse as well as the effectiveness of available treatments, and an improvement in the quality of data. Read the letter here.
Criminal Justice Anti-Racism Action Plan for Wales
His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has published the Anti-Racism Plan for Criminal Justice in Wales, commissioned by the Criminal Justice Board for Wales. The Criminal Justice Board for Wales agreed in October 2020 that one of the main priorities for its commitment to race equality would be to advance and develop a transparent and committed Anti-Racism Action Plan for the Criminal Justice System in Wales. In its seven commitments, the plan outlines steps to providing a holistic, person-centred and anti-racist trauma-informed approach to working with racially minoritised people. They also outline a responsibility to doing more to support racially minoritised people with drug misuse problems. View the Anti-Racism plan.
Government assessment of mental health
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has updated elements of its UK Government Progress Tracker, which records the progress His Majesty's Government is making toward meeting its international human rights obligations. EHRC notes that limited progress has been made in mental health, although policy reforms and increased investment in mental health services have improved access to support and treatment, this has occurred alongside an increase in demand, meaning levels of unmet needs remain high, particularly for young people. It explains that whilst the draft Mental Health Bill has many positive aims, concerns have been raised that there is insufficient common-based support to achieve the goals of reducing instances of inappropriate detention of people with a learning disability. View the progress tracker.
Experiences of adult black men in prison
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) published its thematic review into the experience of adult black males in prison and black prison staff. The survey found that black people in prison were less likely than other ethnic groups to report vulnerabilities, with 29% of black people in prison reporting mental health problems compared with 50% of all other ethnicities; 25% reported a disability compared with 38% of all others; and 14% said they had a drug problem compared with 28% of all others. In relation to mental health, the report highlighted that a lack of trust in staff meant black male prisoners were reluctant to seek support as well as a belief that reporting would increase their perceived risk, feeding into unhelpful stereotypes should they make a disclosure. Read the thematic review .
The power of sharing food
Following the Publication of the HMIP thematic review into the experience of adult black men in prison, the lead inspector Hindpal Singh Bhui has written a blog in response to one of the reviews recommendations. This recommendation put forward by people in prison, highlights how the making and sharing of food together can build trust between people in prison and staff. Bhiu shares his experience of visiting a prison to see how this can work in practice. Read the blog here.
Older people on probation
The latest Academic Insight by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) examines the issue of older people on probation and highlights the importance of understanding the needs of this cohort. In relation to health, the review found that 85% of older people in prison have some form of chronic illness, and 40-50% have a mental health condition, with similar rates shown for those in the community. In light of this, the unmet health needs of older people on probation can have an impact on their ability to engage with their sentence plan or comply with license conditions. The report makes practical recommendations to help ensure that services provided to people on probation are age-inclusive and holistic, acknowledging that age intersects with other factors such as gender and ethnicity. These include better screening of needs, information sharing, advocacy, and support for older people to engage effectively with services to meet their needs as well as develop lead roles and expertise in probation regions to support partnership development, training, policy and work with older people on probation. Read the Academic Insight.
Investigation into government spending on food in prisons
An Inside Time investigation found that prisons are spending less on food, despite the official inflation rate climbing above 11% in October 2022 and causing an increase in the price of ingredients. The amount spent on meals for people in prison has decreased by 14%. In 2021/22, prisons in England and Wales spent £56.3 million, which worked out at £2.54 per prisoner per day. The previous year, spending was £2.96 per prisoner per day. Prison regulations state that people in custody must receive three meals a day, and menus must offer options to meet different requirements including vegetarian, vegan and halal as well as meeting calorie requirements set by the Food Standards Agency. Read the article here.
Drug-related deaths in prisons in England and Wales
The Journal of Community Psychology published research examining drug-related deaths in prisons in England and Wales, 2015-2020. Using qualitative analysis, the study explored the circumstances surrounding the 129 ‘non-natural’ deaths and key risk factors. The research found that most deaths were of men with an average age of 39 years. Drug toxicity was the main factor in causing death, exacerbated by underlying physical health conditions and risk-taking behaviour. A high proportion of individuals had recorded histories of substance misuse and mental illness. The study highlights complex interaction between substances used, individual characteristics, situational features, and the wider environment in explaining drug-related deaths in prisons. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. Russell Webster has written a blog summarising the study’s findings.
LGBTQ+ people experiencing mental ill-health
The Suicide Prevention Consortium is looking for participants to take part in their latest research on LGBTQ+ people, alcohol, and suicide. The aim of the study is to encourage organisations to improve their support for LGBTQ+ people who drink alcohol and have experiences of suicidal feelings, attempted suicide, or self-harm. The findings will be developed into a policy report that will be shared with organisations like NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care. To find out how to take part in a remote one-to-one interview conducted this month.
Samaritans are looking for 10 individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ and have lived experience of suicidal thoughts, attempts, or self-harm, to take part in five online co-production workshops across February and March. The participants will work collaboratively to find policy solutions to provide better support for LGBTQ+ people when they are experiences difficulties in their mental health. To register interest and receive further information, email Naomi Graves n.graves@samaritans.org
The role of charities in medical research
AMRC has created a new animation highlighting the vital role of charities in UK research. It explains how medical research charities are vital partners in research because they respond to patients' priorities, address unmet needs within health care, and build vital partnerships and investment for research to accelerate real health impact. View the animation here.
The health needs of people on probation
Russell Webster has published a report exploring the Ingenus’ innovative health trainer model, which is designed to support people on probation to access appropriate health services. Drawing on lived experience, Ingenus has been working to address the limited health-specific initiatives targeted at people on probation. Their service offers a wide range of support including help accessing mental health services, substance misuse education, as well as support in registering with a G.P and dentist. Read the blog here.
How are food partnerships taking action on cost of living?
Food and Matters and Sustain have co-written a blog exploring the role food partnerships are taking in responding to the cost of living crisis and its effect on food insecurity. They explain that food partnerships can lead fundraising to fund the cost of living measures, for example, the Cambridge Sustainable Food and Brighton & Hove Food partnership have successful crowd funds underway, and many partnerships have influenced funding allocations such as how household support is distributed. However, the blog shows that national policy change is required to create impactful solutions given that the current package of Government support still leaves a gap of £450 for people on means tested benefits. Read the blog here
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