ASSESSMENT OF THE PERCEIVED NEED FOR A PSYCHIATRIC-SERVICE TO A MAGISTRATES COURT

One approach to diversion from custody of mentally disordered offender s is to provide a psychiatric liaison service to local magistrates' co urts. We aimed to establish whether such a scheme was needed locally. Questionnaires for the bench, defence solicitors and bail information officers, enquiring as to the perceived need for a psychiatric assessm ent, social service care and specialist bail provision, were distribut ed for all those appearing in a magistrates' court who had been held o vernight in police custody. Responses were received for 223 individual s. An immediate psychiatric report was considered necessary for 4.9% o f cases. In 2.2% of cases it was thought that remand in custody could have been avoided if such an opinion had been available. In 8% of case s it was thought that remand in custody could have been avoided if spe cialist bail provision were available. We conclude that availability o f a specialist bail provision would lead to a greater number of divers ions from custody than providing a psychiatric service to this magistr ates' court.