UK Prison Lights-Out Policy Could Worsen Mental Health Crisis Plans to impose a strict 10.30pm lights out policy in prisons could worsen the mental health crisis in Britains jails as vulnerable young inmates are forced into darkness, campaigners have claimed. Frances Crook, the chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, warned of the terrifying rate of suicides in prisons and called on the government to rethink its plan, saying it will leave young prisoners in isolation for too many hours. Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, issued orders earlier this year to turn out lights and televisions in the cells of young offenders at 10.30pm sharp to enforce earlier bed times. The restriction, affecting those aged 15 to 17, is aimed at imposing stricter discipline and to prevent inmates from staying up all night. Crook said: They are plunged into darkness alone and with no one to talk to until the next morning. You dont need to be a psychologist to realise that this is very dangerous. The very experience of prison is damaging to your mental health but imagine if you have had bouts of depression in the past or any kind of mental health problem and are then locked up in a cell for 22 hours a day with stinking ventilation and really a rather grotty diet for weeks on end.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 10:01:52 +0000
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