Mental health of adults in contact with the criminal justice system – Inclusion London comments on NICE draft national guidelines

Inclusion London sent comments to NICE on the draft national guidelines on mental health of adults in contact with the criminal justice system.

The guidelines are focused on offenders within the criminal justice system not victims of crime.

Inclusion London’s recommendations regarding the guidelines included:

• That the terms ‘mental health support needs’, or as a second choice ‘mental health conditions’ are used rather than ‘mental health problems’ and ‘mental health disorders’. This is because both the words ‘problems’ and ‘disorders’ have a negative connotation. People with mental health support needs face stigmatisation and the language used has an impact on public perception and on people with mental health support needs themselves.
• The legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments and adhere to the Public Sector Duty is mentioned early on in the guidance.
• A leaflet is designed for healthcare professionals in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) regarding the need to make reasonable adjustments for people with mental health support needs, co-designed with people with mental health support needs that have experienced the criminal system and are therefore ‘experts by experience’.
• A short written commitment to supporting the social model of disability is placed early on in the guidance.
• Disability equality training delivered by Deaf and Disabled People and their Organisations, (DDPOs), which is led by Disabled people who are ‘experts by experience’.
• Healthcare professionals are aware of/refer to the support provided by Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations and charities that provide services or support available to people with mental health support needs in prison.

We support a thorough assessment of a person’s mental health support needs and also to ascertain if the person has any learning difficulties or other impairments so the appropriate care and support and reasonable adjustments can be made on entry to the CJS i.e. when first in contact with the police and again for the court and at reception into prison and at subsequent points and in the community.

We would also support the provision of counselling and psychotherapy for those that are interested.

Read the full set of Inclusion London’s comments here:

Inclusion London Comments Form: Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System