RETHINK: Police need mental health training
The charity Rethink Mental Illness is calling on the government to include mental health awareness training for police officers in their plans for criminal justice reform.
The recommendation is part of the charity’s response to the government’s consultation on the sentencing and rehabilitation green paper, which comes to a close today (Friday 4 March).
Rethink Mental Illness CEO Paul Jenkins said: “Sometimes a mental health crisis can result in criminal behavior, especially when local mental health services are over-stretched and under-funded. It’s vital police are given basic training so they can spot early warning signs and divert people to into health services.
“Police need to also need to recognise unusual behaviour of people in custody so they can minimise the risk of suicide or self harm. We don’t want officers to be overloaded with information, but we do want them to be confident about when to call in expert help.”
“With pressures on health budgets, too often Police are left dealing with people who are very mentally unwell and they don’t have the skills and training they need to do this. It’s not fair on the Police or on people with a mental illness.”
Mr Jenkins added: “Rethink welcomes the overall direction of the Green Paper and the emphasis on the pressing need to deliver better outcomes for offenders with mental illness.
“Achieving this aim would have a significant impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system and have benefits for society as a whole. We particularly welcome the commitment to make diversion services available in all police stations and courts in England by 2015.
“We will actively engage with ministers and officials to help enable the success of the diversion agenda and look forward to detailed delivery and investment programmes.”
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For more information contact Rachel Whitehead, senior media relations officer on: 0207 840 3138
Out-of-hours contact number: 07587 635874
Notes to editors
Consultation on green paper Breaking the cycle: effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders closes today. The Government will analyse responses from stakeholders such as Rethink and publish a response setting out plans in May 2011.
Rethink, the leading national mental health membership charity, works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life. We help over 52,000 people each year through our services and support groups and by providing information on mental health problems.
Our website www.rethink.org receives over 500,000 visitors every year.
Other green paper recommendations include:
The Ministry of Justice and the National Offender Management Service should endorse the Time to Change programme to end mental health discrimination and begin a programme of awareness raising across the criminal justice system.
That changes in the health service are introduced in such a way that recognises issues around offenders with mental health problems.
A statutory duty on Directors of Public Health and Police and Crime Commissioners in relation to the provision of diversion services in their jurisdictions. We recommend that alternatively this could be considered as part of the forthcoming Public Health Outcomes framework.
Specific targets in order to promote an increase in the use of Mental Health Treatment Requirements. New prison programmes to reduce symptoms of mental illness among those about to be released from prison.
Rachel Whitehead
Senior Media Relations Officer
020 7840 3138
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