The criminal justice system does little to help people with mental health problems, a charity has warned.

A report launched by the Revolving Doors Agency has warned that people suffering from mental illnesses receive little in the way of help for a complex range of problems if they come into contact with the criminal justice system.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health told ePolitix.com: "There are currently over 40 mental health in-reach programmes established in prisons with over 90 due to be up and running by April 2004. Currently, over 150 NHS employed staff are involved in these programmes costing around £5 million. By the end of this financial year the number will double to 300 staff at a cost of £10 million.

"It is important to acknowledge the very real pressures around population that currently face the Prison Service, and the new challenge for NHS Primary Care Trusts as they start to take on the commissioning responsibility for prison health services in their patch. In order to facilitate more effective partnership and co-ordination across the different agencies it was decided last year to transfer the responsibility for prison health care from the Prison Service to the Department of Health by April 2006.

"This shift in responsibility to the NHS will ensure prison health, especially mental health, is integrated and mainstreamed into the local health economy and will help secure the sustained investment needed to improve and maintain health services against a background of higher demandsand expectations.

"It will also reduce the professional isolation of prison health staff and ensure access to learning networks and opportunities leading to the development of new skills consistent with our colleagues across the NHS."

Forum Response: SANE

Margaret Edwards, head of strategy at the mental health charity SANE, told ePolitix.com: "The NHS Plan published three years ago recognised the importance of identifying and treating prisoners with mental health problems.

"The Plan also pledged that by 2004 the 5000 prisoners diagnosed with a serious mental illness would receive more comprehensive mental health services, with no prisoner with serious mental illness leaving prison without a care plan and a care coordinator.

"SANE hopes that the government action promised on this new report will include a commitment to honouring these pledges."

Forum Response: Depression Alliance

Jim Thomson, director of Depression Alliance, told ePolitix.com: "It is true that the criminal justice system does very little to help people affected by depression or any other mental illness.

"As within our society as a whole, mental illness is rarely recognised, understood or treated in the way that it should be.

"The use of a link worker, piloted by the Revolving Doors Agency, seems to have produced some excellent results and is further evidence of the role that voluntary organisations can play in providing cost-effective, quality assured services that make a real impact on health and society."