Prison Detoxification Service

Our detoxification unit at Her Majesty's Prison Birmingham offers a comprehensive in-patient detoxification programme. The programme uses medication to help people come off drugs and alleviate the symptoms of withdrawal. It also offers relief for people who are unsuitable for inpatient detoxification. Other services offered include relaxation, acupuncture exercise and physical activities. The team works closely with the CARAT (Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice, Throughcare) Team within the prison.

Contact:

HMP Detox Unit
HMP Birmingham
Winson Green
Birmingham
B18 4AS

Tel: 0121 645 2779

Prison Discharge Co-ordination Service

Each month approximately 600 sentenced prisoners are released from prisons in the West Midlands, with about 75% returning to live in the region. In addition, it is estimated that some 15% of prisoners from the West Midlands are held in prisons outside the region, often due to pressures associated with the size of the prison population.

The role of the Discharge Coordination Service is to ensure that all mentally disordered offernders (MDOs) imprisoned around the country and released back into the community of Birmingham and Solihull have an established mental health team ans care coordinator upon their release from prison.

The problems in the lives of these offenders are often highly complicated and interrelated. They require a coordinated multi-agency response within prison, across the crucial transitions between community and custody, and sustained long after release. Without this they are likely to fall into gaps between services.

The aim of the service is to:

• provide a full mental health and risk assessment
• ensure that MDOs with ongoing mental health needs have access to appropriate services
• liaise, advise, support and provide information to other professionals on issues relating to MDOs
• maintain links between prison establishments and mental health teams

Contact:

Jackie Reid - Discharge Coordinator
HMP Birmingham
Winson Green
Birmingham
B18 4AS

Tel: 0121 345 2387
Fax: 0121 515 3265