Psychotherapy (Offenders) (Hansard, 8 February 1994)

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd

[holding answer 4 February 1994]: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Robert Maclennan dated 8 February 1994:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the provision of psychotherapy for offenders and ex-offenders.163WAll psychotherapy rests on the assumption that problems with an origin in earlier damaging experiences are capable of correction through a new and different personal relationship with a trained therapist. There are various styles of such treatment including individual psychotherapy and group psychotherapy.In the Prison Service group psychotherapy is employed at HM Prisons Grendon and Wormwood Scrubs, and HM Young Offender Insititution Glen Parva. At HMP Grendon research undertaken by Gunn and Robertson (A Ten Year Follow-up of Men Discharged from Grendon Prison) and Genders and Player (Grendon - A Study of a Therapeutic Community within the Prison System) confirms that attitudinal changes to take place in inmates undergoing therapy. For example, Genders and Player claimed that within six months, 71% had abandoned the conventional inmate pecking order, 68% could talk to prison officers about personal matters, and that after 12 months 60% were able to disclose if illicit activities were taking place. All felt less isolated and less directed. In addition prisoners had an insight into their own problems and a greater understanding of others.Nevertheless until recently there has been no evidence of a reduction of recidivism by prisoners released from Grendon, although there was evidence that those who reoffend committed offences of a lesser order. However, research yet unpublished (Cullen 1992) indicates that prisoners released from Grendon over the last five years have in fact reoffended proportionally less often then the prison population as a whole. Similarly a study by Jones in 1988 (The hospital annexe: a preliminary evaluation report) at the Wormwood Scrubs annexe showed that those completing the course of therapy had a reconviction rate significantly lower than those who had failed to complete the treatment.A combination of group psychotherapy and individual psychotherapy has been employed at the C Wing Special Unit at HM Prison Parkhurst for the last two years. Whilst this work has not yet been formally evaluated there has no doubt been a significant change in the attitude in many of the men undergoing therapy, exemplified by their willingness to come to terms with past traumas and to diplay a greater degree of self-confidence.Psychotherapy is also carried out in establishments on an individual basis by visiting consultant psychiatrists. However, because of the constraints of doctor/patient confidentiality, it is impossible to ascertain what proportion of such sessions could be considered psychotherapeutic; although it is likely that all such sessions will contain some element of this type of treatment.The treatment of sex offenders within the Prison Service falls into two broad categories, medical or educational, depending on whether treatment consists of a form of psychotherapy or is based on a cognitive behaviour approach. For the former, facilities exist in Her Majesty's Prison Grendon and the Wormwood Scrubs Annexe, where therapy is conducted through group and one to one sessions involving psychiatrists, psychologists, and other special staff; and at HMYOI Glen Parva which provides similar programmes for young offenders. Therapy or treatment is also provided at many establishments on an individual basis according to the clinical needs of the prisoners.The second category of treatment is being facilitated by the Prison Service sex offender programme which was introduced in 1992 and targeted initially at prisoners who receive sentences of four years or more. The programme, which is educational rather than medical in character is divided into two main sub-programmes.

A core programme, which tackles offenders distorted beliefs about relationships;
and
an extended programme for those who represent the greatest risk.

At present there are seven prisons acting as assessment centres, 13 providing core programmes and seven providing extended programmes. In addition, two establishments offer concentrated core programmes for high risk inmates serving less than four years.In 1992–93 there were 16,737 prisoners referred to visiting consultant psychiatrists, compared with 17,583 in 1991–92 and 13,396 in 1990–91.I regret that the exact number who have undergone psychotherapy, the cost of such treatment and that proportion of the psychiatric budget apportioned to psychotherapy is not collected centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.164W