July 1, 2008
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
By Ben Ullmann, Charlie Brooker; Edited by Gavin Lockhart
Our prison population is at its highest ever. Of the 82,000 prisoners in England and Wales it is estimated that nine out of ten have one or more mental health disorders. Although treatment of mental illness in prison has improved over the past decade, mental healthcare is not given the attention it deserves. The rates of mental illness among prisoners suggest that the Prison Service has become a catch-all social and mental healthcare service, as well as a breeding ground for poor mental health.