Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T03:01:49.310Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Criminal Justice Diversion and Liaison Services: A Path to Success?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 May 2012

Wendy Dyer*
Affiliation:
Department of Social Sciences, NorthuDombria University E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Diversion services for adult mentally disordered offenders are back in the limelight twenty years after their original development. This article argues there are a number of important lessons to be learnt. Services of this kind ‘process’ different people in different ways with different outcomes. Current developments therefore need to provide an holistic, patient-centred approach across the whole offender pathway, which meets the needs of different groups of people. What works for some might not work for others, but patterns can be mapped and good and bad pathways identified and used to inform good practice and service improvement.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Badger, D., Nursten, J., Williams, P. and Woodward, M. (1999) Systematic Review of the International Literature on the Epidemiology of Mentally Disordered Offenders, York: NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination.Google Scholar
Beebee, J. (2010) ‘People with learning disabilities in the criminal justice system’, Nursing Standard, 24, 38, 35–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Birmingham, L. (2003) ‘The mental health of prisoners’, Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 9, 3, 191–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradley, K. (2009) Lord Bradley's Review of People with Mental Health Problems or Learning Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System (The Bradley Report), London: DoH.Google Scholar
Brooker, C. and Ullmann, B. (2009) Inside Out: The Case for Improving Mental Healthcare across the Criminal Justice System, London: Policy Exchange.Google Scholar
Byrne, D. (1998) Complexity Theory and the Social Sciences, London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Carson, D., Grubin, D. and Parsons, S. (2003) Report on New Prison Health Reception Screening Arrangement: The Result of a Pilot Study in Ten Prisons, Newcastle: University of Newcastle.Google Scholar
Centre for Mental Health, Rethink and the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2011) Diversion: The Business Case for Action, London: Centre for Mental Health.Google Scholar
Confederation of British Industry (2009) Raising the Bars: Make a Reality of Unified Offender Management, London: Confederation of British Industry.Google Scholar
Corston, J. (2007) The Corston Report: A Review of Women with Particular Vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System, London: Home Office.Google Scholar
Croucher, M. (2005) ‘An evaluation of the quality of integrated care pathway development in the UK National Health Service’, Journal of Integrated Care Pathways, 9, 1, 612.Google Scholar
Department of Health (2011) Positive Practice Positive Outcomes: A Handbook for Professionals in the Criminal Justice System Working with Offenders with Learning Disabilities, London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Department of Health and Home Office (1992) Review of Health and Social Services for Mentally Disordered Offenders and Others Requiring Similar Services – Final Summary Report (The Reed Report), London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Department of Health and National Institute of Mental Health in England (2005) The Offender Mental Health Care Pathway, London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Durcan, G. and Knowles, K. (2006) London's Prison Mental Health Services: A Review, Policy Paper 5, London: The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.Google Scholar
Dyer, W. (2001) ‘The identification of the careers of mentally disordered offenders using cluster analysis in a complex realist framework’, Ph.D. thesis, University of Durham.Google Scholar
Dyer, W. (2006) ‘The psychiatric and criminal careers of mentally disordered offenders referred to a custody diversion team in the United Kingdom’, International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 5, 1, 1527.Google Scholar
Dyer, W. (2009a) Review of Criminal Justice and Liaison Services: North East Region, Newcastle: Northumbria University and Prison and Offender Research in Social Care and Health (PORSCH).Google Scholar
Dyer, W. (2009b) The Cleveland Diversion Team: 14 Years On, Newcastle: Northumbria University and Prison and Offender Research in Social Care and Health (PORSCH).Google Scholar
Dyer, W. (2011a) Criminal Justice Diversion and Liaison Services: Post-Bradley Update on ‘Best Practice’ Developments, Newcastle: Northumbria University and Prison and Offender Research in Social Care and Health (PORSCH).Google Scholar
Dyer, W. (2011b) ‘Mapping pathways’, in Williams, M. and Vogt, W. P. (eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Innovation in Social Research Methods, London: Sage.Google Scholar
Dyer, W., Biddle, P. B. and Irving, A. (2010) Mapping the Clinical Pathway from Prison Healthcare (HMP Holme House and HMP Kirk Levington) to Community Healthcare, Newcastle: Northumbria University.Google Scholar
Gleick, J. (1988) Chaos: The Amazing Science of the Unpredictable, London: Minerva.Google Scholar
Great Britain (1983) Mental Health Act 1983, The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Great Britain (2007) Mental Health Act 2007, The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Greenhalgh, N. M., Wylie, K., Rix, K. J. B. and Tamlyn, D. (1996) ‘Pilot mental health assessment and diversion scheme for an English metropolitan petty sessional division’, Medicine, Science and Law, 36, 1, 52–8.Google Scholar
Harris, R. and Webb, D. (1999) Mentally Disordered Offenders: Managing People Nobody Owns, London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Hean, S., Heaslip, V., Warr, J., Bell, H. and Staddon, S. (2010) ‘A women's worker in court: a more appropriate service for women defendants with mental health issues?’, Perspectives in Public Health, 130, 2, 91–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Government, HM (2011) No Health without Mental Health: A Cross-Government Mental Health Outcomes Strategy for People of all Ages, London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
HM Inspectorate of Prisons (2007) The Mental Health of Prisoners: A Thematic Review of the Care and Support of Prisoners with Mental Health Needs, London: HM Inspectorate of Prisons.Google Scholar
Holloway, J. and Shaw, I. (1992) ‘Providing a forensic psychiatry service to a magistrates’ court’, Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 3, 1, 153–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Home Office (1990) Home Office Circular No.66/90, Provision for Mentally Disordered Offenders, London: Home Office.Google Scholar
Home Office (1995) Home Office Circular No.12/95, Mentally Disordered Offenders: Inter-Agency Working, London: Home Office.Google Scholar
Hunter, G., Boyce, I. and Penfold, C. (2007) Evaluation of Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Schemes: A Focus on Women Offenders, London: The Institute for Criminal Policy Research, School of Law, King's College London.Google Scholar
Jacobson, J. (2008) No One Knows – Police Responses to Suspects Learning Disabilities and Learning Difficulties: A Review of Policy and Practice, London: Prison Reform Trust.Google Scholar
James, A. (1996) Life on the Edge – Diversion and the Mentally Disordered Offender, Volume 2: Practice Report, London: The Mental Health Foundation.Google Scholar
James, D. (2000) ‘Police station diversion schemes: role and efficacy in central London’, Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 11, 3, 532–55.Google Scholar
James, D. (2010) ‘Diversion of mentally disordered people from the criminal justice system in England and Wales: an overview’, International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 33, 4, 241–8.Google Scholar
Jones, G. and Talbot, J. (2010) ‘No one knows: the bewildering passage of offenders with learning disability and learning difficulty through the criminal justice system’, Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 20, 117.Google Scholar
Joseph, P. (1991) ‘Mentally disordered offenders: diversion from the criminal justice system’, Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 1, 2, 133–8.Google Scholar
Joseph, P. L. A. and Potter, M. (1993) ‘Diversion from custody, I and II’, British Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 325–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khanom, H., Samele, C. and Rutherford, M. (2009) A Missed Opportunity? Community Sentences and the Mental Health Treatment Requirement, London: Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.Google Scholar
Kings Fund (2007) Care Pathways: Reading List, London: The Kings Fund.Google Scholar
Lamb, R. and Weinberger, L. (2005) ‘The shift of psychiatric inpatient care from hospitals to jails and prisons’, Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law, 33, 4, 529–34.Google Scholar
Loucks, N. (2007) The Prevalence and Associated Needs of Offenders with Learning Difficulties and Learning Disabilities: No One Knows, London: Prison Reform Trust.Google Scholar
McDonald, P., Whittle, C. L., Dunn, L. and Luc, K. de (2006) ‘Shortfalls in integrated care pathways, part 1: what don't they contain?’, Journal of Integrated Care Pathways, 10, 1, 1722.Google Scholar
McGilloway, S. and Donnelly, M. (2004) ‘Mental illness in the UK criminal justice system: a police liaison scheme for mentally disordered offenders in Belfast’, Journal of Mental Health, 13, 3, 263–75.Google Scholar
McKinnon, I. and Grubin, D. (2010) ‘Health screening in police custody’, Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 17, 4, 209–12.Google Scholar
Mclean, N. and Marshall, L. A. (2010) ‘A front line police perspective of mental health issues and services’, Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 20, 1, 6271.Google Scholar
Ministry of Justice (2010) Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Morrison, A. (1995) Cleveland Diversion Team Operational Policy, Middlesbrough: Cleveland Inter-Agency Steering Group for Mentally Disordered Offenders.Google Scholar
National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (1993), Diverting Mentally Disturbed Offenders from Prosecution, Mental Health Advisory Committee, London: NACRO.Google Scholar
National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (2004) Findings of the 2004 Survey of Court Diversion/Criminal Justice Mental Health Liaison Schemes for Mentally Disordered Offenders in England and Wales, London: NACRO.Google Scholar
National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (2005) Findings of the 2004 Survey of Court Diversion/Criminal Justice Mental Health Liaison Schemes for Mentally Disordered Offenders in England and Wales, London: NACRO.Google Scholar
National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (2011) Nacro Directory of Criminal Justice Mental Health Liaison and Diversion Schemes in England and Wales, London: NACRO.Google Scholar
National Policing Improvement Agency (2008) Review of Literature on Mentally Disordered Offenders, London: National Policing Improvement Agency.Google Scholar
National Schizophrenia Fellowship (1999) National Diversion and Liaison Scheme Register, London: National Schizophrenia Fellowship.Google Scholar
Pakes, F. and Winstone, J. (2009) ‘Effective practice in mental health diversion and liaison’, The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 48, 2, 158–71.Google Scholar
Patch, P. and Arrigo, B. (1999) ‘Police officer attitudes and use of discretion in situations involving the mentally ill’, International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 22, 1, 2335.Google Scholar
Peay, J. (2007) ‘Mentally disordered offenders’, in Maguire, M., Morgan, R. and Reiner, R. (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, Fourth edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Price, M. (2005) ‘Commentary: the challenge of training police officers’, Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 33, 1, 50–4.Google Scholar
Prins, H. (2010) Offenders, Deviants or Patients?: Explorations in Clinical Criminology, London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prison Reform Trust (2009) Too Little, Too Late: An Independent Review of Unmet Mental Health Need in Prison, London: Prison Reform Trust.Google Scholar
Purchase, N. D., McCallum, A. K. and Kennedy, H. G. (1996) ‘Evaluation of a psychiatric court liaison scheme in north London’, British Medical Journal, 313, 531–2.Google Scholar
Rees, G., Huby, G., McDade, L. and McKechnie, L., (2004) ‘Joint working in community mental health teams: implementation of an integrated care pathway’, Health and Social Care in the Community, 12, 6, 527–36.Google Scholar
Rethink and Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (2010) The Diversion Dividend: Interim Report, London: Rethink, Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.Google Scholar
Revolving Doors Agency (2010) Towards a Shared Future, London: Revolving Doors Agency.Google Scholar
Rickford, D. and Kimmett, E. (2005) Troubled Inside: Responding to the Mental Health Needs of Men in Prison, London: Prison Reform Trust.Google Scholar
Riordan, S., Wix, S. and Kenny-Herbert, J. (2000) ‘Diversion at the point of arrest: mentally disordered people and contact with the police’, Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 11, 3, 683–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, D., Mcgilloway, S. and Donnelly, M. (2009) ‘The mental health needs of women detained in police custody’, Journal of Mental Health, 18, 2, 144–51.Google Scholar
Shaw, J., Senior, J., Hassan, L., Weston, J., King, D. and Mwasambilli, N. (2008) An evaluation of the reception screening process used in prisons in England and Wales, Manchester Offender Health Research Network.Google Scholar
Singleton, N., Meltzer, H. and Gatward, R. (1998) Psychiatric Morbidity Among Prisoners in England and Wales, London: The Stationery Office.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Social Exclusion Unit (2002) Reducing Re-offending by Ex-prisoners, London: HMG Cabinet Office.Google Scholar
Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) (1997) Services for Mentally Disordered Offenders in the Community, London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Staddon, S. (2009) South West Court Mental Health Assessment and Advice Pilot Final Report, London: Her Majesty's Court Service.Google Scholar
Watson, A. C., Morabito, M. S., Draine, J. and Ottati, V. (2008) ‘Improving police responses to persons with mental illness: a multi-level conceptualization of CIT’, International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 31, 4, 359–68.Google Scholar
Watson, W. (1993) ‘Future directions for research’, in Watson, W. and Grounds, A. (eds.), The Mentally Disordered Offender in an Era of Community Care, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 191200.Google Scholar
Wells, W. and Shafer, J. A. (2006) ‘Officer perceptions of police responses to persons with a mental illness’, Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, 29, 4, 578601.Google Scholar
Williams, I. (2009) ‘Offender health and social care: a review of the evidence on inter-agency collaboration’, Health and Social Care in the Community, 17, 6, 573–80.Google Scholar
Williams, M. and Dyer, W. (2009) ‘Single-case probabilities’, in Byrne, D. and Ragin, C. (eds.), The Sage Handbook of Case Based Methods, London: Sage.Google Scholar
Winstone, J. and Pakes, F. (2008) Report on National Criminal Justice Mental Health Team Audit (England), London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Winstone, J. and Pakes, F. (2010) Liaison and Diversion: Best Practice Assessment − Offender Health, London: Department of Health.Google Scholar