Mental health courts 'cut crime bill'

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The cost of crime could be slashed by up to £180m a year while criminals with mental health issues would get better care if the way they were treated in the justice system underwent a radical overhaul, according to a report by the think tank Policy Exchange.

The 'Inside Out' report claimed that mental health courts have been shown to deliver a "significant reduction" in reoffending, which could mean the number of re-offenders in England and Wales would fall by 1,500 to 2,700 a year, saving between £95m and £180m. The report added that the Home Office's own research showed that money could be saved by giving more offenders community rather than custodial sentences – the average cost of a custodial sentence is £13,000 a head while a community order costs between £1500 and £4000. Even with mental health treatment included the community order option is still cheaper.

The report's author Charlie Brooker said: "The criminal justice system has become a place to dump people with mental health disorders, and the NHS is not pulling its weight in delivering effective alternatives. We need world class commissioning for offenders' mental health care in every part of the system."

Gavin Lockhart, head of the crime and justice unit at Policy Exchange, added: "Nine out of 10 prisoners in England and Wales have at least one mental health disorder. Despite being on the government's agenda for well over a decade, inadequacies in the provision of care have created a forgotten minority, with resulting costs to the taxpayer and society as a whole. Beefing up the role of the NHS and putting in place Mental Health Courts that we know work are clear measures the government should take to cut crime, cut the costs of crime and stop those with poor mental health ending up stuck in the wrong part of the system."