Pact applauds new Mental Health Bill promising to end the use of prisons as ‘places of safety’

The government has announced a new bill addressing much-needed reform to the Mental Health Act and the treatment of people in mental health crisis. Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons and Probation, has announced that the bill will end the use of prison cells for people experiencing severe mental ill health and ensure prisoners in need of mental health hospital treatment are transferred more quickly.

As well as ensuring patients have more of a say in their care, the bill recognises the vital role of families and carers in helping to keep loved ones safe. Following many years of advocacy for the families of people living with mental ill health in prison and the success of our ‘Listen to Families’ programme in London, we welcome the inclusion of measures to strengthen the rights of families.

The bill, properly enacted and resourced, will save lives and reduce pressure on prison officers and healthcare teams caring for severely unwell people in an overwhelmed and under-resourced prison system.

Pact CEO Andy Keen-Downs said: “We wholeheartedly welcome the Government’s announcement to reform the Mental Health Act, putting an end to the cruel, immoral and ineffective use of prisons and police cells as so-called 'places of safety' for people suffering episodes of severe mental ill health.

“'Despite the best efforts of many brave prison staff and healthcare teams, prisons can never be places of safety for people in mental health crisis. Hundreds of men and women living with severe mental health conditions are trapped in the prison system despite having been assessed as needing hospital care by psychiatrists. It is vital that this long overdue legislation is given swift passage and that the necessary resources follow.

“We are excited to see collaboration between the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Health and Social Care and urge ministers to go further. While we applaud the new bill and welcome the additional funding for mental health services, the investment is dwarfed by the £2.3 billion set aside for expanding the prison estate.

“We once again encourage the government to terminate the failed policy of prison expansion inherited from the previous administration and instead invest the funds in mental health care, children, youth and family services, and effective rehabilitation. We cannot build our way out of the crisis in our justice system.

“This new bill signals a better way forward, and we look forward to supporting the government in whatever way we can to deliver on this important reform.”

Research & advocacy 

• WATCH - Keep Him Safe: mental ill health in the justice system, a short film exploring two women's experiences supporting loved ones in prison living with mental ill health
• READ - Nobody's Listening: what families say about prison healthcare

Support for prisoners' families

If you have a loved one in prison living with mental ill health, you can find support through the Prisoners' Families Helpline & website:

• 0808 808 2003 (freephone)
• www.prisonersfamilies.org

Pact also has a new resource: Your Guide to Prison Healthcare, a guide created by prisoners' families for anyone supporting a loved one in prison living with a mental or physical health condition.