Promoting Healthy Prisons conference announces low literacy statistics

Recent statistics from England and Wales indicate that nine out ten prisoners have a diagnosable mental health problem, substance misuse problem or both, while four out of five prisoners smoke, in comparison to one in four of the general population.

The findings were announced at the Promoting Healthy Prisons conference held in Lisburn on September 12. The Promoting Healthy Prisons conference has been organised by the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) and the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

The event aims to raise awareness of health and personal development issues regarding inmates.

Director Robin Masefield added two thirds of the estimated 1,500 inmates had a reading and mathematical ability of an 11-year-old or less and warned many were long-term unemployed with chronic disease and alcohol addiction.

Dr Brian Gaffney, Chief Executive of the HPA, said: “Promoting the health of prisoners is very important in helping to reduce the risk of re-offending and assisting prisoners to lead useful lives in the future. The factors which make someone more likely to re-offend, for example, lack of education or employment, substance misuse, poor housing, and weak social and family links, are the same factors which contribute to poor health."

Howard League for Penal Reform director Frances Crook said: "The Prison Service isn`t a health service and should not be accepting people who need mental health care. There are a small number of people who are career criminals but the majority of people have got caught up in offending (because of their condition) and would be better dealt with elsewhere. The majority of prisoners are short sentences for crimes like non-payment of bills and it can be difficult to treat their problems in the short time available."

Masefield concluded that good links between the health and prison services were essential and added jails should provide a standard of health care better than that available in the community.

"We have established a three-year programme with the University of Ulster to improve mental health screening on committal at Maghaberry (high security prison)," he added.

Other steps included:

• engaging three cognitive behaviour therapists to work with inmates at the youth prison at Hydebank Wood



• a revised self-harm and suicide policy



• Partnership Boards are being established at each prison chaired by the governor and the chief executive of the local health trust

Partnership Boards are being established at each prison chaired by the governor and the chief executive of the local health trust.

(DS)