A fifth of prisoners on anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds

Keith Adams of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice said the figures reveal the “breadth and depth of mental illness” within the prison system and paint “a genuinely unsettling picture”.

A third of prisoners are on a waiting list for psychological support and more than a fifth of inmates are receiving anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication, official figures show.

Penal reformers said the figures reveal the “breadth and depth of mental illness” in prisons and believe the problem has been “undoubtedly exacerbated” by Covid restrictions on accessing psychological help.