Community reintegration of people with mental health problems or learning disabilities from prison

Abstract

Since the Bradley Review in 2009 initiatives have been developed to support individuals with mental health problems and learning disabilities in the criminal justice system. Despite these initiatives, it was identified that some individuals were being released from local prisons without adequate support. The custodial partnership group (CPG) evolved as a mechanism to identify potential service users six months before their release from prison, prompting an NHS trust in the north west of England to become involved in their care.A focus group was held after a scheduled CPG meeting. A total of five members representing different services took part in the focus group: a local prison service, criminal justice and liaison team and community-based forensic support service. A thematic analysis was conducted to review the qualitative data collected from the focus group. The evaluation found that the CPG was viewed positively by those in attendance and seen as a valuable and innovative forum to continue the care of service users with a forensic pathway.