Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Deferred
Paragraph: 43
Unavailability of community orders leads to unnecessary imprisonment for mental health needs
Conclusion
Too many offenders are imprisoned because community orders with mental health treatment requirements are unavailable in many areas. The Government’s target that community orders with mental health treatment requirements should be available across 50% of England and Wales by 2023 is insufficiently ambitious. It is unacceptable that in many parts of the country and for years to come, sentencers will continue to be obliged to send offenders to prisons simply because appropriate community sentences are unavailable.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response focuses on existing NICE guidance and service specifications for mental health screening, assessment, and treatment within prisons. It does not address the availability or ambition of community orders with mental health treatment requirements as an alternative to prison.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
43
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
Drug and Alcohol Treatment Requirements and secondary care MHTRs are already available to sentencers in every court and we are in the process of raising awareness among the judiciary about their availability. Through the Community Sentence Treatment Requirements Programme, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), MoJ, HMPPS, NHS England, NHS Improvement and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) are working together to ensure greater use and improved access to timely and appropriate mental health and substance misuse services for offenders who need them. The programme, which uses NHS Long Term Plan funding, is on track to introduce primary care Mental Health Treatment Requirements (MHTRs) to half of England by 2023.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗