In the Media

Mental health crisis growing in prisons UK

PUBLISHED May 19, 2004
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The UK prison service is facing a mental health crisis, with the rates of severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, more than 10 times higher among male inmates than the general population, according to the Prison Reform Trust and mental health charity Mind.

The two bodies have called on the government to reform the criminal justice system, which they say is imprisoning record numbers of men with mental health disorders. According to statistics, two-thirds of men in prison are diagnosed with a personality disorder and two-fifths show symptoms of at least one neurotic disorder, such as depression, anxiety or phobias.

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