Campaign to improve mental health support for young black men in prisons

A YouGov survey commissioned by charity Spark Inside found that 37 per cent of adults polled agreed that mental health provision offered to prisoners is “not effective in reducing the likelihood of reoffending on release”.

It also found 72 per cent of people think that there should be specific support for prisoners’ mental health and wellbeing.

• Analysis: ‘Commission will look for solutions to generational cycles of violence’

• Analysis: Tackling race 'bias' in youth justice

The research comes as part of a campaign calling on government to prioritise wellbeing services in prisons for young men and young black men

The Being Well Being Equal campaign is also calling for urgent action to tailor wellbeing services to take into account and meet the specific needs of young men in prison and young black men in prison and provide better support and guidance for professionals in prison working with this group of people.

The charity also highlights the impact of pandemic restrictions, which saw some young people locked in cells for 23-hours a day, on prisoners' mental health.

Tyler, a 22-year-old black man, who was recently in custody awaiting bail, told Spark Inside: “I think that’s one of the worse periods for my mental state.

“Especially I had a lot of other stuff going on outside of the case, so all of that adding onto the case made it bad, especially in lockdown as well, you couldn’t really do nothing.”

Vicki Cardwell, chief executive of Spark Inside, said: "Despite this strong public support, care for young people's emotional and mental wellbeing in prison is not good enough. For instance, it’s time to recognise that young black men who are overrepresented in our prisons need a specific approach to reflect their life experiences and to move away from a tick-box culture.

“Spark Inside will be gathering evidence over the next year - hearing from young people with experience of prisons and organisations working with them - on how we can boost wellbeing services. It’s early days in our project but perhaps a combination of the pandemic and Black Lives Matter has helped us all to value good mental health for everyone, including young people in prison. As we recover from Covid, it is time to boost these services and to get it right for those who need it most.”