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Around One Percent Of The Population Of The Uk Remains In Prison, At One ...

Around one percent of the population of the UK remains in prison, at one point of time.
The prison population grew steadily during the mid-1990s, from just over 44 000 in 1993 to a peak of 66 500 in mid-1998. It did not exceed this number until mid-2001. Since then, it has grown steadily. In June 2002, it stood at 71 200 (Home Office, 2002). Longer-term growth forecasts anticipate an average prison population of 76 700 by 2008, but it could rise to as high as 83 500 (Home Office, 2001). Turnover in the prison population is considerable: around 140 000 people pass through English and Welsh prisons each year (Department of Health, 2001). (Birmingham, 2003)
Table 1, provided hereunder, gives details of the break up of prisoners interned in various British prisons in 2002. The total number of prisoners has increased, since then, to 75,661, in 2006. While the number of prisoners has increased by about 5 %, it would be reasonable to assume that the tabulated figures are representative even today of the proportion of inmates with mental health problems.
Table 1: The prison population on 30 June 2002 by type of prisoner and gender (Home Office, 2001) (Birmingham, 2003)
Type of Prisoner
Male
Female
Total

1
Young Prisoners
10950
660
11610

1a
Remand
2520
167
2687

1b
Sentenced
8370
480
8850

1c
Non Criminal
58
6
64

2
Adults
55870
3740
59610

2a
Remand
9560
830
10390

2b
Sentenced
45600
2850
48450

2c
Non Criminal
720
51
770

3
All
66280
4390
71220

3a
Remand
12080
1000
13080

3b
Sentenced
53970
3340
57310

3c
Non Criminal
770
57
830

Rounding of figures may lead to summation discrepancies.
The majority of inmates are under imprisonment because of offences involving violence, larceny and drug abuse. Personal histories of deprivation, abuse, unemployment and substance abuse are predominant.
The most comprehensive survey in recent years to gauge the mental health of prisoners happened at the instance of the office for National Statistics (ONS) in 1997. The results of the survey, summarised in the previous section, indicate, 90% of prisoners have at least one mental health disorder, including personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse, and drug dependence. (The mental health problem in UK HM Prisons, 2006) While the majority of prisoners with these problems have problems like depression and anxiety, which could have been caused because of their imprisonment, a considerable proportion are afflicted by ailments like schizophrenia, considered to severe and which could lead to violent behaviour. Comorbidity is prevalent with seventy percent of affected prisoners having more than one ailment.

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