THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN;: Stop jailing mentally ill, says prisons chief.

(From Independent on Sunday)

Byline: Sophie Goodchild Home Affairs Correspondent

Martin Narey, the head of the Prison Service, has condemned as "shameful" the jailing of thousands of mentally ill people for committing crimes, when what they need is medical treatment.

The director-general of prisons said that vulnerable prisoners with psychological illnesses and at risk of suicide were his "biggest single worry" and created an "overwhelming burden" on prison staff. "Care in the community has now become care in custody," he said. "I know that in some parts of the country there is nowhere for courts to send people. The background to this is shameful." …