South Africa: Hundreds of State Mental Health Patients Are Being Kept in Prison

South Africa: Hundreds of State Mental Health Patients Are Being Kept in Prison

There are not enough beds in South Africa's 13 psychiatric hospitals

Hundreds of state mental health patients are being kept in prison - ProtectionWeb

People who are found unfit to stand trial or be held criminally liable for a crime due to their psychiatric state are supposed to receive specialised care in the health system. But hundreds are being kept in prisons. And while the Department of Correctional Services and the Department of Health haggle over who should take responsibility, the number of these state patients is increasing. In Parliament earlier in May, Correctional Services Ministe…