What shall we do about the high rates of mental disorders in prisoners?

Abstract

As I write this, the prison population in England and Wales has reached 77,622 and is growing at 250 per week. Prison capacity will rise to 79,100 by mid-2006. This is in the context of generally falling crime rates, and very high recidivism rates in those released from prison. Britain has the highest incarceration rate in western Europe, and yet there few political constrains to this policy.