Calls For Greater Use Of Mental Health Treatment For Offenders With Mental Health Problems

More news from the Centre for Mental Health. They have published a new briefing paper which looks at the provision of mental health care for adults in the criminal justice system.

The paper states "Despite the fact that we know that as many as a quarter of offenders have a mental illness its disappointing to discover that since its introduction in 2005 the mental health treatment requirement still represents well-under 1 per cent of all requirements issued."

Sean Duggan, Centre for Mental Health chief executive said, commenting on recent figures from the Ministry of Justice that show a fall in the number of Mental Health Treatment Requirements (MHTRs) issued as part of a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order "Our research has shown that the MHTR has unfilled potential as an option for community sentences. By engaging offenders with mental health problems in effective treatment in the community, the MHTR has to potential to improve an individual's mental health and wellbeing and reduce the chances of reoffending.

You can read more about this briefing paper here: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/news/2012_MHTR.aspx

The Home Office's Alcohol Strategy 2012

The Home Office has introduced its new Alcohol Strategy which sets out proposals to cut down on binge drinking, alcohol fuelled violence and slash the number of people drinking to damaging levels. The Alcohol Strategy includes committments to:

• introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol
• consult on a ban on the sale of multi-buy alcohol discounting
• introduce stronger powers for local areas to control the density of licensed premises including making the impact on health a consideration for this
• pilot innovative sobriety schemes to challenge alcohol-related offending

The Alcohol Strategy is available to download here: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/alcohol-drugs/alcohol/alcohol-strategy

Outcomes for Looked After Children as at 31st March 2011

Outcomes for children looked after as at 31 March 2011. Department for Education.

Outcomes reported include education, health, offending and substance misuse. For the first time this year, it also includes information to show performance against the new Impact Indicator for attainment gaps for looked after children. This indicator includes a change to the definition previously used to monitor the attainment of looked after children and covers children who have been continuously looked after for at least 6 months - those who would be eligible for the pupil premium payment.
Published 14 December 2011
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001046/index.shtml

Equal but different? New report on alternatives to custody for women from HMI Probation

A new report from HMI Probation has been published on: Equal but different? An inspection of the use of alternatives to custody for women offenders.

Reconviction & Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements

New research by the Ministry of Justice shows that reconviction patterns by offenders subject to Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangments (MAPPA) had a lower rate of reconviction than those released prior to MAPPA implementation.

The full report can be downloaded here: Patterns of reconviction among offenders eligible for Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (PDF 0.11 mb)