Prison transfers to Special Hospitals since the introduction of the Mental Health Act 1983

A review of recent academic literature on the characteristics of patients in British special hospitals

“…There was little difference in the pattern of index offences between those in each group classified as mentally ill. In a study of transfers from prison to special hospitals, Huws et al (1997) also found a much higher proportion of non-white patients diagnosed as having psychosis than white patients (significant at the 1% level), and correspondingly fewer with personality disorder. There was a significantly higher proportion of mental illness category patients and a lower proportion of psychopathic disorder patients amongst those serving life sentences than amongst those with determinate sentences.…”

Assessing the viability of treatment rights for prisoners with personality disorder: Substance or substantive?

“…Certainly, at the European level 29 This is, furthermore, at odds with Rule 40.4 of the EPR, 2006 which states: 'Medical Services in prison shall seek to detect and treat physical or mental illnesses or defects from which prisoners may suffer'. 30 Huws et al (1997) found that between 1984-1991, 10%of prisoners were at least as close as 6 weeks to their earliest release date, and 66%of those were suffering from PD. 31 DOH (1998, para.…”