Mad Bad or Sad: Caring for the Mentally Disordered in the Court Environment, from a Nurse's Perspective

Abstract

This paper examines the difficulties health professionals face daily when providing care for the mentally disordered offender in the court environment. The role ofthe court nurse is to provide care for people with mental health needs in the court and health professionals can find this a restrictive environment to work in. This is mainly due to the court's legal processes which are designed to punish rather than offer therapeutic alternatives. By advocating for the mentally disordered offender, the court nurse ensures the court is aware of an individual's mental health needs, thus reducing the prospect of inappropriate sentencing, and the associated stigmatisation that may occur as a result of a criminal conviction.