Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to support prison leavers with severe mental illness.

We are committed to working with our partners across health and justice to better support prisoners leaving custody.

Our Mental Health Approved Premises Project are piloting a partnership approach to working with people who have mental health challenges. It provides targeted, enhanced mental health support to high-risk prison leavers with the most complex needs, with the aim of building a clear bridge into services in the community. As part of the project, staff can access training to improve their ability to recognise and respond to mental health needs.

We have also recruited over 50 Health and Justice Coordinators and Managers nationwide to improve links between prison and community treatment services, to support continuity of care upon release and NHS England’s RECONNECT service, supports prison leavers with vulnerabilities including mental health needs to engage with the right health services in the community through referrals and peer support.