Offender Management Bill

moved Amendment No. 126: 126: After Clause 32, insert the following new Clause— ““Mental health diversion schemes Mental health diversion schemes (1) The Secretary of State shall establish mental health diversion schemes to operate at all— (a) crown courts; (b) magistrates’ courts; and (c) police stations. (2) Under this section ““mental health diversion scheme”” means a scheme under which all those charged with an offence shall be considered for— (a) assessment by a qualified mental health nurse; and (b) if in the opinion of the mental health nurse the person charged is suffering from a mental health disorder, diversion from the criminal justice system towards treatment in a mental health facility. (3) For the purposes of this section a mental health diversion scheme may be established to operate at one or more of the places listed in subsection (1).”” The noble Lord said: In the absence of the noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, who is extremely sorry not to be here—and having seen the reason for that, I am sure that the whole Committee would be with him—I will briefly move this amendment. Anyone who has had anything to do with the penal system knows that one of its tragedies—and I use that word in the full significance of its real meaning—is that there are far too many people there who should not be in prison at all. It is a completely inappropriate place for them, because of their mental condition. What has struck me in recent years, in making some prison visits, is that among the better and the most committed prison staff is something approaching anger in their frustration with the situation, because they say, ““These people should not be here, and you are asking us to do jobs that we are not equipped to do—and, in any case, we are without the premises or facilities to do them in””. There really should be alternative provision. From that standpoint, when I saw that the noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, was tabling this amendment, it seemed to meet one of the areas urgently requiring reform and action. For that reason, I was glad to support it and I beg to move.