Dr. Michael Brennan

Summary

This research identifies the many barriers that Irish prisoners encountered when accessing and maintaining links with mental health services prior to incarceration. These are: lack of recognition of mental illness by participants and health professionals, limited referral options, over-reliance on pharmacological interventions to manage mental health problems, stigma, lack of or breakdown of social supports, and limited professional supports within the community. Combinations of these barriers with individual circumstances are shown to be important predisposing factors for future involvement with the criminal justice system. This research makes several assertions. Firstly, the CJS is increasingly becoming a pathway to accessing mental health care. This claim is strongly supported by participants' level of disengagement with mental health services prior to incarceration revealed by this study. Secondly, mentally disordered offenders are gradually becoming re-institutionalised within the Irish criminal justice system. This finding demonstrates that the WHO's prediction within the Trencín statement that prisons 'will' become twenty-first century asylums (WHO 2007, p. 5) has in fact happened. Thirdly a noteworthy contention of this research involves the process of re-integration with the community following a period of incarceration. This research reveals that the process of re-integration is complicated by participants' lack of confidence in mental health services in the community as well as their conviction that they feel extremely stigmatised by society and health professionals following previous involvement with the CJS. A pragmatic exploratory sequential mixed methods design was utilised for this study. It was conducted in two phases. The first used a qualitative design. This was followed by a quantitative phase which used an adapted version of the Pathways Encounter Form.

Funding Agency

The University of Dublin Trintiy College

Programme

PhD

Summary

Higgins, A. Doyle, L., Nash, M., Brennan, M. Costello, P. & Morrisey, J.

Funding Agency

HSE and NPMDU

Summary

This project set to conduct a broad literature search initially. This will be undertaken as part of a larger systematic review of the literature to focus on current mental health provision for young people in contact with the criminal justice system and out to describe international best practice. It concludes by formulates evidence-based policy recommendations.

Funding Agency

Irish Prison Reform Trust

Project Type

Reseach

Person Months

4

Summary

Doyle, L (PI), Higgins, A., Keogh, B., Brennan, M. & Morrissey, J.

Funding Agency

Suicide or Survive

Summary

Monahan, M (PI)., Morrissey, J., Higgins, A., Noctor, C. & Brennan, M.

Funding Agency

HEA