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35 Prob. J. 1 (1988)

handle is hein.journals/probj35 and id is 1 raw text is: ISSN 0264-5505 Mentally Ill Inprisoned By Default A consultant psychiatrist's study of men remanded to Wincnester Prison for psychiatric reports between 1979 and 1983 shows the impact of mentalhospital closure upon the penal system. One in five were rejected by the NHS consultant responsible for their care, despite their mental health problems (usually schizophrenia) on grounds of a shortage of secure beds or their 'unsuitability for treatment'. They were thus frequently imprisoned despite the usually petty nature of their offending. 27% of offences were primarily to obtain food or shelter. Dr Jeremy Coid's findings (to be published soon in the British Medical Journal) are amplified by a recent DHSS/Home Office Report on Mentally Disturbed Offenders, which shows a downward trend in the number of prisoners deemed by prison medical officers to be detainable under the Mental Health Act. This trend has been particularly clear since 1985, and the Report concludes that this increase may be caused by patients being discharged from hospital who subsequently prove unable to cope in the community. Vive la Prevention What lessons can be learnt from France on juvenile crime prevention? A great deal, argues Michael King in a NACRO Occasional Paper How to Make Social Crime Prevention Work: The French Experience (February 1988, £2.50). Following inner city disturbances involving young people during the summer of-1981, the new Mitterand Government initiated an urgent major programme of summer camps and activities which developed into probably the most ambitious crime prevention programme in Europe, and which continues unchanged by the present Conservative administration. The longer term response was an inter- departmental commission to seek solutions to the problems of youth employment and social integration, depressed neighbourhoods, poor Probation Journal Vol 35 No I March 1988 schools and deplorable housing. Asaresult three tiers of action council were established, at central government, county council and local level Two-thirds of towns of over 30,000 population have introduced - a Conseil Communal de Prevention de la Delinquence, and one half of those of between 9,000 and 30,000. Features of the summer programmes have become permanent projects for sport, recreation and education, to tackle low morale and poor self-image, and particular emphasis has been placed on involving ethnic minority groups in mainstream activities. In addition, Missions Locales (youth centres) exist in all major towns to provide help with problems of job training, accommodation and finance. These have provided not only direct service but have raised thelevel of consciousness among politicians, civil servants, employers and trade unions. Though the main objective has been social integration, over the summer months petty crime in all major French cities has declined. NACRC hopes that when the Home Office establish a neu National CrimePreventionAssociation, its remit should not be limited to physical forms of crime prevention but include the promotion of French- style social measures to divertyoung people fror offending. Probation Practice and the Reality of Unemployment Unemployment has been demonstrated to be an overwhelming problem within probatior caseloads in the North East Region, following s pioneering survey by ACOP in April 1987 Overall the rate of unemployment among probation clients, eligible and available foi work, is 71.5%. Only a very small proportion (9.8%) has proper, full-time jobs, ranging fron 16.8% inNorthYorkshireto5.2% inCleveland Other areas comparatively badly off are South Yorkshire (5.6%) and Northumbria (6.1%). Whereas the Department of Employmen I

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