Criminal Justice - Advisory Panel

Rethink Mental Illness and Revolving Doors set up a panel of mental health service users and carers with direct experience of the criminal justice system to meet between May 2010 and June 2011. CJS panel session 1

The panel informed national policy by discussing and advising on the implementation of the government's strategy on mental health in the criminal justice system, and got involved in wider campaigns opportunities.

Why did we create a panel?

Thousands of people affected by mental illness get caught up in the criminal justice system every year, and we know that imprisoning people with a mental illness may worsen their condition.

Bradley reportSo Lord Bradley completed a review involving consultations with Rethink Mental Illness carers and service users who had lived experience of the criminal justice system, and he reported his recommendations for change.

The review looked at the 'care pathway' from point of arrest through to resettlement in the community and at how well people with mental illness are diverted out of criminal justice and into health services where appropriate.

Lord Bradley incorporated all of our panel's suggestions and described how "the service users and carers I met through Rethink were crucial to my understanding of how it really felt to be on the receiving end of how the criminal justice system treats people with a mental health problem".

This work showed that service users and carers have the power to improve things. We wanted to create the panel to get your support in many different ways.

Advisory Panel

Terry Bowyer and Dawn Willis at the CJS panel session 1. Alan in background

The first session of the advisory panel was held in May 2010. Panel members discussed and shared experiences in order to agree on a number of recommendations for the Department of Health.

The notes from the discussions have been combined into one report and sent to the Department of Health. Each future session will also produce a report so that by the end of the project, all areas of the government's plans for mental health and the criminal justice system will have been reviewed.

Read the session summary reports:

CJS advisory panel report May 2010 (59 kb) [doc]

CJS advisory panel report July 2010 (179 kb) [doc]

Other Opportunities

We are always looking for people to speak out about their experiences. If you would be happy to speak at a meeting of MPs or at a carer or service user group meeting, for example, please do let us know.

In addition we can provide training and practice sessions if you have not done this before or are a bit rusty!

For more information about any of these opportunities, please contact campaigns@rethink.org.

What can I do in 2 minutes?

image of hand and paper only, writing a letter
  • Send an email to your local Primary Care Trust (PCT) asking what healthcare they offer to people with mental health problems caught up in the criminal justice system. Urge them to make improvements and to offer decent support.
  • Get involved in Rethink Mental Illness' 'Fair Treatment Now' campaign for better treatment and support for everyone affected by severe mental illness.
  • Read Lord Bradley's report on his findings: The Bradley Report 2009 (2834 kb) [pdf]
  • We would love to hear how you get on with your campaigning. Please remember to always let us know when you get a response from your MP, local health trust, local authority, police force or courts.

            Thank you for your support!