Mental problems behind bars

Up to one in three male prisoners has mental problems, according to a report out today. One in four say they have deliberately harmed themselves, while one in 25 say that they have had a severe personality disorder.

The "worrying" statistics are highlighted in a report of a multi-agency team, the Wessex Group. It screened 1,300 incoming prisoners - 400 of them on remand - over three years at Winchester Prison.

The group's profile of a prisoner with mental health problems showed that he was more likely to have previous convictions; to be returning for an offence of violence; to have had drink or drug problems and to be facing homelessness on release.