mental health

Scottish Prison Population Health Needs Report

On 20 September 2022 the Scottish Government published a prison population health needs synthesis report. It highlighted common themes and recommendations from four health needs    assessments of Scotland's prison population (three new and one previously published). The assessments cover physical health, mental health, social care and substance use related needs.

Scottish Sentencing Council Reports

On 12 May 2022 the Scottish Sentencing Council published a report on the sentencing of offenders with mental health issues; this followed the publication of a report on the challenges of comparing sentences across jurisdictions and a report on sentencing domestic abuse offences.

Mental Health Support in Scotland's Prisons 2021: Under-Served and Under-Resourced

On 28 April 2022, the Mental Welfare Commission published a themed visit report entitled ‘Mental Health Support in Scotland’s Prisons 2021: Under-Served and Under-Resourced’. It advised that little had changed in relation to the outcome for prisoners’ mental health since the last themed visit in 2011 and that passing responsibility from SPS to NHS had offered no discernible improvements. It reiterated that seriously and acutely mentally ill people were still being housed in prisons instead of in hospital-based care.

Mental Welfare Commission Report: Women and Mental Ill-Health

On 8 July 2021, the Mental Welfare Commission published a report entitled,‘Concerns About the Care of Women with Mental Ill-Health in Prison in Scotland: An Analysis of the Records of Nine Women in Custody’. It reviewed the records of nine women who received mental health care in prison custody in Scotland between 2017 and early 2020 in response to a a report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the CPT) in October 20191 about their visit to police and prison premises in Scotland in October 2018. The CPT had raised serious concerns about the wellbeing of women with mental ill health in HMP YOI Cornton Vale, particularly about delays in accessing inpatient treatment, and about women with personality disorder not being eligible for transfer to a psychiatric hospital.

Expert Review of Mental Health Support For Young People Entering And In Custody At HMP&YOI Polmont - Final Progress Update

On 24 March 2021, the final progress update on the Expert Review of Mental Health Support For Young People Entering And In Custody At HMP&YOI Polmont was published. None of the recommendations have been fully implemented, which has raised some concern, whilst HMIPS believes that significant progress has been made in 25 of the 80 recommendations e.g. standardised mental health screening processes; Talk To Me (TTM) transitional care plans; halt to routine body scanning etc. It has been noted that SPS has taken the decision itself not to publish further updates. 

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