I apologize for any confusion. Here is the revised response:
Bryony, who had no criminal record, was arrested during a period of delusions in which she believed she was being poisoned. She was suffering from mental health problems following her mother’s death from pancreatic cancer.
While in prison, Bryony experienced severe depression and began self-harming. She explained that self-harm was her way of coping with her surroundings and the challenging experience of being locked away in a cell while dealing with psychosis and depression.
A new report by chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has revealed the extent to which mentally unwell prisoners are harming themselves. Some prisoners have gone to extreme lengths, such as removing teeth or maiming themselves to the point of exposing their own intestines. These acts frequently lead to life-changing injuries.
Of concern is the length of time mentally unwell prisoners are waiting to be transferred to psychiatric hospitals. NHS guidance recommends that the transfer should take no more than 28 days, but the average wait time is nearly three months. This delay is not only detrimental to the well-being of these individuals, but it also leads to prison officers receiving limited mental health training and potential injuries during their interactions with unwell prisoners.
The report also highlights a worrying increase in self-harm incidents among prisoners in England and Wales, particularly among female inmates. The rate of self-harm incidents in female prisons has reached a record level, while the rate in male prisons has risen at a slower pace.
These issues are exacerbated by the lack of beds in psychiatric facilities, resulting in bureaucratic delays in transferring mentally unwell prisoners. Prisons are being used as an alternative to hospital beds, with individuals being remanded in custody during a mental health crisis solely due to the lack of available hospital places.
The draft of the Mental Health Bill aimed to address these issues by removing the use of prison as a place of safety and implementing a statutory time limit of 28 days for transfers from prisons to hospital. However, the bill was not included in the recent King’s Speech, meaning there will be no immediate legislative reform.
Bryony spent six months in prison before being given a hospital order and transferred to a mental health facility, where she received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and began treatment. She believes that it would have been more beneficial if she had been taken straight to the hospital instead of prison.
In response to the report, a government spokesperson emphasized that offenders are entitled to mental health support in prison and that efforts are being made to provide post-custody care to help prison leavers access community-based health services.
