26th February 2020
Women in Prison: Mental health and well-being was published in February 2020 by Penal Reform International and the Prison Reform Trust as a guide primarily for prison staff and others who work with women in prison or may be making decisions that affect them.
Research suggests that 1 in 7 prisoners and has a serious mental health condition, and that a high proportion of women in prison have poor mental health. The guide describes how to recognise the signs of poor mental health and how best to respond. Furthermore, it aims to break down the stigma and discrimination attached to poor mental health, especially for women in prison.
The guide recognises that while there are many things that prison staff and others can do, improvements in mental healthcare must also be addressed by politicians, law and policy makers, management and healthcare staff. IPRT have called for the establishment of a cross-departmental Task Force on mental health and imprisonment as one of our keys asks for the Irish Programme for Government 2020+. Another of our key asks is that the government invest in community-based sanctions as a direct alternative to imprisonment for non-violent offending. The guide similarly recommends alternatives to detention should be implemented for women wherever appropriate and possible.
Mental healthcare is also a spotlight standard in IPRT’s Progress in the Penal System 2019 benchmarking report. See Standard 13.
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You can access the guide here.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.