ABSTRACT
In some respects, the concept of psychiatric treatment in prison might seem like nonsense, as much of the energies of mental healthcare staff within prisons is toward moving those with a mental illness to hospitals in the National Health Service (NHS) and/or the private sector. But why is this necessary, and why have we come to adopt this approach? To answer these questions, it is worth briefly looking at the history of mental health services to understand the goal behind providing services and treatment.
