Study finds high rate of mental illness in remand prisons

06/12/2005 - 07:41:29
Research commissioned by the Prison Service has reportedly found that the rate of severe mental illness among remand prisoners is almost 40 times higher than that of the general public.

Reports this morning said this figure was significantly higher than the statistics in other countries.

The reports also said the figure was much higher than the rate of mental illness among sentenced prisoners, suggesting that people with mental illness were being put on remand, often for minor offences.

Dr Harry Kennedy, the clinical director of the Central Mental Hospital, has said the findings raised serious concerns about the way mentally ill people are being processed by the criminal justice system.