Edgar K, Rickford D
Head of Research, Prison Reform Trust.
Int J Prison Health. 2009;5(3):166-70. doi: 10.1080/17449200903115839.
From first contact with the police to release from prison, people with mental ill health who come into conflict with the law often find that their mental health needs are neglected while they are under the authority of the criminal justice system. In 2008, the Prison Reform Trust surveyed independent monitoring boards in England and Wales, asking them to comment on mental health care. Topics included the adequacy of court diversion schemes, assessments carried out in prison reception units, and preparations to ensure continuity of care upon release. The responses documented some of the consequences of neglect in prisons in England and Wales. Over half of the boards felt that they frequently saw prisoners who were too ill to be in prison. Boards also expressed concerns about assessment processes in prison reception areas, which were by no means adequate to identify mental health problems. A number of boards stated that, too often, people with severe mental illnesses are held in segregation units, where they endure an impoverished regime. The boards observed that many prisons lack any means of identifying people who have learning disabilities, and often their disabilities restrict their capacity to engage fully with the regime.
从首次与警方接触到出狱，与法律发生冲突的心理健康状况不佳者常常发现，在刑事司法系统的管控之下，他们的心理健康需求被忽视了。2008年，监狱改革信托基金会对英格兰和威尔士的独立监督委员会进行了调查，要求他们对精神卫生保健发表意见。主题包括法庭转处计划的充分性、在监狱接收单位进行的评估，以及为确保释放后护理连续性所做的准备。这些回应记录了英格兰和威尔士监狱忽视问题的一些后果。超过半数的委员会认为，他们经常见到病得太重而不应被关押在监狱的囚犯。委员会还对监狱接收区的评估程序表示担忧，这些程序根本不足以识别心理健康问题。一些委员会指出，重度精神疾病患者常常被关押在隔离区，在那里他们忍受着匮乏的管理制度。委员会观察到，许多监狱缺乏识别有学习障碍者的任何手段，而且他们的残疾往往限制了他们充分参与管理制度的能力。
