Prisons: Mental Health Debate
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Lord Bishop of Bristol
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Prisons: Mental Health
Lord Bishop of Bristol Excerpts(9 years, 4 months ago)
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Lord Prior of Brampton
The noble Lord raised this in his report five years ago and in the follow-up report that was published more recently. A very early assessment of a prisoner when he arrives in prison is of course extremely important.
The Lord Bishop of Bristol
My Lords, given the complex needs of so many prisoners and the fact that those needs have to be addressed consistently, does the Minister agree with me that the risks associated with such prisoners could be greatly reduced were all operational staff in prisons given training on mental health awareness?
Lord Prior of Brampton
The right reverend Prelate’s comments are true throughout the whole healthcare system and would also apply to nurses in physical health surroundings. Training in how to recognise and deal with people suffering from mental health problems would be a huge benefit.