Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations he has received from Prison Governors on mental health screening for offenders at sentencing.

Governors are rightly focussed on the safety and well-being of the people placed into custody and are very aware of the levels of mental health needs among prison populations. Governors work closely with partner agencies and stakeholders to ensure that suitable regimes and support are in place to ensure those in our custody receive the right care. At MoJ Ministers frequently visit prisons, where governors can highlight matters of concern to them. However, most issues relating to screening are discussed with health and justice partners through normal governance structures at official level.

Providing the right intervention at the right time is vital to improving outcomes for people with mental health issues and there is ongoing work to divert offenders away from custody where appropriate, though it is important to remember that sentencing decisions are a matter for our independent judiciary. We welcome the Sentencing Council’s development of an Overarching Principles guideline on Mental Health, which has been recently published for consultation. The guideline aims to assist the court in sentencing offenders with mental health needs.

We continue to support NHS England’s roll out of Liaison and Diversion services, which support efforts to intervene early for vulnerable offenders and divert them into services that address the underlying causes of offending. They do so by placing clinical staff at police stations and courts to provide assessments and referrals to treatment and support. Services are currently operating across 92% of the country, with full rollout expected by 2020/21.

We are also working with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England on a programme to support the greater use of community sentences with treatment requirements (CSTRs) in courts, including mental health treatment requirements. The programme facilitates processes and pathways for clinical staff in courts to screen and assess offenders for mental health (and substance misuse) issues. This provides the judiciary with effective community sentencing options as an alternative to custody. Wherever possible, screening and assessments are completed on the day of sentence by CSTR providers for mental health and substance misuse.

For individuals who are sentenced to custody, it is crucial that MoJ and HMPPS work to create healthy, supportive prison environments. We already know that prisoners are more likely to have poor physical and mental health than the general population and that being in prison can exacerbate these issues. That is why we have ensured that over 4,000 new staff are in post to enable us to implement initiatives like the key worker role, allowing staff dedicated time to provide support to individual prisoners. These initiatives and others mean that we will be able to better support individuals with mental health needs in prison.