'Extend Garda cautions' to people suffering from  mental illness, addiction or trauma

The High Level Task Force report strongly recommends the introduction of crisis intervention teams combining gardaí and health staff

The report found that a multi-agency approach was needed to implement a new Garda diversion policy to prevent vulnerable people with mental health difficulties becoming “inappropriately trapped” in the criminal justice system. File photo

The Garda adult caution scheme should be extended to people who are suffering from a mental illness, addiction or trauma in cases of minor crimes, a Government task force has said.

In addition, such people, who have previous criminal convictions, should be included in the scheme - which is typically available only for first-time offenders.

The task force report said consideration should be also given to extending the ‘spent convictions’ scheme – where past convictions are erased – to people with “multiple historical convictions” stemming from mental illness, addiction or trauma.

The recommendations are contained in the report of the High Level Task Force (HTLF) on mental illness, addiction and the criminal justice system. The task force, set up by the Government, made 61 recommendations in the comprehensive report, which runs to 231 pages.

It found that a multi-agency approach was needed to implement a new Garda diversion policy to prevent vulnerable people with mental health difficulties becoming “inappropriately trapped” in the criminal justice system.

The report strongly recommends the introduction of crisis intervention teams (CIT) – combining gardaí and health staff – in the short term (12-18 months). It said the pilot CIT project in Limerick should receive “full support”.

It said that given gardaí are “frequently first responders in crisis situations” they should receive guidance and training in dealing with such incidents and urged a more “progressive, empathic” approach.

The report said: “The Task Force is convinced of the need to move with speed and determination, particularly in respect of those recommendations identified as implementable in the short term, and in many cases build on aspects of services which are already being provided but require greater resourcing and roll-out.

“Now must be the time for action and implementation of proven approaches.” 

Other recommendations include:

• Extending the Adult Caution Scheme to cover simple possession of all drugs, beyond just cannabis, which could prevent a “person in crisis” from entering the criminal justice system;
• Development of a pilot Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme in conjunction with the Limerick CIT project and a second one in another Garda/HSE area;

The report said that a dual diagnosis programme for mental health and addiction issues, which has started, was a “welcome development”, which had the potential to be of “significant benefit” to individuals affected.

The task force said increasing the capacity of forensic mental health services across the prison estate and for those who require admission to the Central Mental Hospital was a priority.

This included examining “step down” care and, despite the opening this year of the new CMH at Portrane, additional forensic beds. It said the CMH was at “100% capacity at all times”, which had reduced admissions to it to “minimal levels”.