Mental health experts have warned of “systematic discrimination” against people with serious mental illness in the Irish criminal justice system, as new figures show a high level of psychosis among remand prisoners. A pilot project at Cloverhill Prison identified psychosis (caused by conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) in 561 new cases between 2006 and 2011.
Click here to read an article in the Irish Times.
According to Professor Harry Kennedy of the Central Mental Hospital about 300 people with severe mental illness are held in remand annually. Prof Kennedy says “If you start multiplying up over a 10-year period, there is a very strong chance that any young man with a recent onset of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder may spend some time in prison” leading to systematic discrimination.
The problem is amplified by a lack of mental health diagnosis among young offenders. A third of those accessing the services of the Peter McVerry Trust have a diagnosed mental illness but more than half have very clear “mental health issues” according to its chief executive Pat Doyle.
Discrimination can affect how people with mental health issues are treated by the legal system for minor crimes. Dr Conor O’Neill, consultant psychiatrist at Cloverhill prison summarises the problem as follows: “to get bail all you need is an address, a sum of money or someone to vouch for you, … [T]hese are things people with mental illness don’t tend to have. They are often homeless, impoverished and they have lost contact with their families. So there is discrimination there: they don’t have the same entitlement to bail as your ordinary professional criminal.” Dr O’Neill has set up a pilot diversion programme for remand prisoners in an attempt to reduce the rate of severe enduring mental illness in Cloverhill Prison.
Additional concern has been raised about the impact of prison on the mental health of vulnerable inmates. The use of isolation cells in dealing with disturbed prisoners has been met with criticism in recent prison inspection reports. A recent Department of Justice review group conceded that imprisonment “aggravate mental health problems, heighten vulnerability and increase the risk of self harm and suicide.” Inspector of Prisons Justice Michael Reilly has said there remained a “significant problem” with the management of prisoners with mental illness.
Click here to read the Irish Times editorial ‘The Prison Trap’.