Stop jailing mentally ill, says prisons chief

Martin Narey, the head of the Prison Service, has condemned as "shameful" the jailing of thousands of mentally ill people for committing crimes, when what they need is medical treatment.

The director-general of prisons said that vulnerable prisoners with psychological illnesses and at risk of suicide were his "biggest single worry" and created an "overwhelming burden" on prison staff. "Care in the community has now become care in custody," he said. "I know that in some parts of the country there is nowhere for courts to send people. The background to this is shameful."

This week, mental health campaigners will highlight the plight of the mentally ill in prison as part of a special lobby of ministers.

Mr Narey's concerns are shared by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP), which published a new report this month claiming that the prison suicide rate would be reduced only with extra mental health resources.

Based on research carried out by forensic psychiatrists, Suicide in Prisons makes 26 recommendations for the attention of ministers, prison officials and psychiatrists. It calls for more resources so that nurses, doctors and psychologists can properly assess the mental state of prisoners.

Members of the Mental Health Alliance, which represents more than 50 mental health groups, will meet at the House of Commons on Wednesday to outline their concerns about the government's Mental Health Bill. Psychiatrists, social workers and patients are united in their opposition to the reforms, which include the detention of mentally ill people before they have even committed a crime.

The incidence of mental disorders among the prison population exceeds that in the population as a whole. The most recent Prison Service figures reveal that as many as 90 per cent of prisoners show evidence of mental distress, a psychiatric disorder, or drug or alcohol addiction.

More than 5,000 are suffering from severe mental illness. An alarming proportion of prisoners are at risk of suicide: 40 per cent of women and 20 per cent of men coming into custody have admitted trying to kill themselves. There have already been 76 suicides in prisons and young offenders institutes this year.

Mr Narey said efforts were being made to locate mentally ill prisoners near their families. "If you have got a prisoner who is down, then it's not going to help taking him away from friends," he said.