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• Topic Summary
• Data & Trends
• Supporting Documents

1) Healthcare for offenders

In the past, the prison health service has been very separate from the NHS, which has made it difficult to provide effective services. Now that the prison health service is coming under the aegis of the NHS there are opportunities to improve the health and health care of prisoners.

2) Greater partnership working

• The population of Newcastle upon Tyne is predicted to increase including an increase in the number of people aged 65 and over who are likely to require greater healthcare resources.
• The National Offender Health and Social Care Strategy is likely to be published in spring 2009.
• ACE project has provided more detailed information regarding the relationships between homelessness, mental health and substance misuse.
• A need to develop more robust alcohol treatment pathways

Drug Intervention Programmes and drug treatment systems have a strong evidence base of effective practice.

Evidence from Court Diversion is required

Data from the Housing Gateway is beginning to show increased retention and satisfactory move-on for offenders with additional health related issues

(Northumbria Probation Service, 2007)

• Increasing crime rates
• Increasing local concern about anti-social behaviour
• More people re-offending

Diversion from custody

Prisoners

A report on the health needs of prisoners by NEPHO states that people in prisons, whether sentenced or on remand, have high levels of morbidity, particularly mental health problems and substance misuse. The rapid turnover of prisoners means that this is a problem for all communities and needs recognition by all primary care trusts.

Safe Newcastle has created and resourced a number of staff posts that facilitate and manage the drug-related work of the partnership. The posts are hosted with various employers but work together as Safe Newcastle's Drug Support Unit.

Delivering new approaches to drug treatment and social re-integration

Crime

The Social Exclusion Unit Report - Reducing Re-offending by Ex-prisoners (2002) highlights that many offenders experience a combination of factors which contribute to their offending. There are seven key pathways to reducing re-offending recognised by the Home Office;