Pathways to mental health care of people with mental health problems within the Irish criminal justice system

Abstract

This research identifies the many barriers that Irish prisoners encountered when accessing and maintaining links with mental health services prior to incarceration. These are: lack of recognition of mental illness by participants and health professionals, limited referral options, over-reliance on pharmacological interventions to manage mental health problems, stigma, lack of or breakdown of social supports, and limited professional supports within the community. Combinations of these barriers with individual circumstances are shown to be important predisposing factors for future involvement with the criminal justice system. This research makes several assertions. Firstly, the CJS is increasingly becoming a pathway to accessing mental health care. This claim is strongly supported by participants' level of disengagement with mental health services prior to incarceration revealed by this study. Secondly, mentally disordered offenders are gradually becoming re-institutionalised within the Irish criminal justice system.