Question reference: S2W-02314
- Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 1 September 2003
-
Current status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 September 2003
Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the recidivism rate was for people (a) resident in and (b) released from medium secure units in each of the last 10 years, broken down by unit.
Answer
The information requested isnot collected centrally.
The first medium secure unitfor mentally disordered offenders in Scotland opened in 2001, in line with the Scottish Executive policy Health, Social Work and Related Services forMentally Disordered Offenders in Scotland, published in 1999. Medium secureunits provide an appropriate and safe care and treatment option between the State Hospital atCarstairs, which provides forensic psychiatric care in conditions of highsecurity, and individual wards in psychiatric hospitals, which accommodate awide range of patients suffering from mental illness. Patients are onlytransferred or discharged from secure units when there is agreement, followinga comprehensive risk assessment, that it is safe to do so.