ABSTRACT
In England and Wales, since the introduction under the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2000 of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements for the assessment and management of sexual and violent offenders, it has never been more important to understand each other’s aims, strengths and limitations. People with health difficulties are very vulnerable in police custody; a small but important number die there from their disorders. Clinical services are generally commissioned by the police force, with most healthcare overseen by a ‘forensic medical examiner’, often, but not invariably contracted from a local general practice. Sometimes it is the psychiatrist, or other clinician, who needs to ask for police help with a particular individual. As the twentieth century unfolded, prison medical officers expanded their role and influence beyond the prison itself, most notably with the provision of psychiatric reports to courts, leading to an acceptance of the practice of prisoners being remanded into custody for a period of medical observation.
