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“A significant proportion of crime is committed by offenders who have multiple problems” – Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders (MOJ, 2010, p.7)

• 75% of prisoners have a dual diagnosis of mental health problems combined with alcohol or drug misuse. (1)
• 72% of male and 70% of female sentenced prisoners suffer from two or more mental disorders. This compares with 5% of men and 2% of women in the general population. (2)
• 69% of arrestees test positive for at least one drug. (3)
• A third of prisoners lose their home while in prison. (4)
• 61% of short-sentenced prisoners reoffend within a year. (5)

Many offenders experience multiple needs: a range of problems at the same time. These problems exacerbate and reinforce one another, creating a downward spiral that brings people into contact with the criminal justice system. 

People in the revolving doors group are often in frequent contact with the police, courts, probation, and prison services. They are likely to be issued with Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, Penalty Notices for Disorder, and other fines or penalties.  Each contact is symptomatic of a failure to receive support in the community, but each contact also presents an opportunity for intervention by community services.

For many people in the revolving doors group, these opportunities are missed. They experience frequent short custodial sentences; long enough to disrupt support and benefits that may have been in place in the community, but not long enough to work effectively with the prisoner to address the problems outlined above.

Many go on to reoffend. Read more about the support needs of short sentenced prisoners here.

Revolving Doors calls for:

• A renewed focus on rehabilitation - A renewed focus on rehabilitation is vital to cutting re-offending and tackling crime.
• Improved links between prison and community services – including housing, mental health and drug and alcohol services.
• Liaison and Diversion services to be rolled out nationwide and built into all stages of the criminal justice system, in line with Breaking the Cycle and the Bradley report.
• New elected Police Commissioners to make particular efforts to include the revolving doors group in their engagement of “all those who live and work in the communities in their force area”.

Relevant Revolving Doors publications

• Submission to All-Party Parliamentary Group on women in the penal system's inquiry on girls and the penal system (October 2011)
• Response to Ministry of Justice: Breaking the Cycle consultation (March 2011)
• Multiple needs and the "rehabilitation revolution" (September 2010)
• Response to Policing in the 21st Century Consultation (September 2010)
• ACPO/NPIA Draft Guidance on Police Responses to People with Mental Ill Health and/or Learning Disabilities (July 2009)
• Response to Bradley Report (May 2009)
• Response to Reducing Re-offending Strategic Plan 2008-11 (February 2008)
• Prisons: Britain's social dustbins (September 2007)
• Response to Sentencing Guidelines Council’s Consultation on Breach of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (November 2007)

(1)    National Institute for Health Research,A National Evaluation of Prison Mental Health In-Reach Services, (2008)

(2)    Social Exclusion Unit Report, Reducing reoffending by ex-prisoners, July 2002

(3)   The Bradley Report (Department of Health, 2009, p.38)

(4)    Social Exclusion Task Force, Inclusion Health: Evidence Pack (Cabinet Office, 2010)

(5)    Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders, (MOJ, 2010, p.6)