The Government must, as a matter of urgency, see through its proposal to establish viable alternatives so that prisons are no longer used as a place of safety under the Mental Health Act 1983. We recommend that the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice set a target to eliminate use of prison in this way by 31 March 2022 and monitor progress monthly towards this target in each NHS region in the meantime.

The Government must, as a matter of urgency, see through its proposal to establish viable alternatives so that prisons are no longer used as a place of safety under the Mental Health Act 1983. We recommend that the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice set a target to eliminate use of prison in this way by 31 March 2022 and monitor progress monthly towards this target in each NHS region in the meantime. Type: recommendation | Number: 31 | Paragraph: 98 | Response status: under_consideration Government response: The Government agreed that we should end the use of prison as a place of safety for individuals with severe mental health issues in the Mental Health Act White Paper and committed to legislating at the earliest possible opportunity through the proposed Mental Health Act Reform Bill. Since the factor