ABSTRACT
Within the past decade, the provision of mental health care in prisons has changed considerably from highly patchy and often inadequate care to mental health in-reach teams (MHIRTs) now working in most prisons. Such teams seek to offer prisoners access to the same range and quality of services as patients receive in the community. Providing such equivalent care has, however, proved to be challenging within the prison environment, particularly in relation to the provision of various therapies. This chapter will first examine the development and aims of MHIRTs in the context of high levels of mental health problems and wider debates about the provision of prison health care. It will then discuss the challenges that MHIRTs have faced in seeking to provide equivalent care, and will critically discuss whether it is possible or desirable for MHIRTs to provide therapeutic interventions in prisons.
