Mind is continuing its campaign for equal justice by collaborating on a major two-year research project funded by the Big Lottery fund.
If you are aged over 18 years, have experienced mental health problems and been a victim of crime in the last three years, we would like to hear from you. To find out more about the project and how you can take part visit the victim support website.
The project is delivered in partnership with Victim Support and a number of leading London Universities – Kings College London, University College London and Kingston University and St George’s University of London.
The research is investigating whether people with mental health problems are more likely to be victims of crime. It's also exploring the barriers people with mental health problems face in reporting crime and accessing justice and what helps them, or could help them, to report crime and access justice.
The research is being conducted in London, exploring the experiences of people aged over 18 years who have mental health problems and have been victims of crime in the last three years. Findings will be disseminated widely, used to influence policy and practice in key criminal justice agencies and to improve service delivery within the organisations undertaking this research.
Mind signs up to new campaign 'Justice for All'
Along with other charities, advice agencies and campaigners, Mind is calling for everyone to be treated fairly under the law, no matter who they are, how much money they have or where they live. Read more and sign up to Justice for All.
Find out about the campaign against the Coalition Government's proposed reforms to legal aid.
Mind has published its new mental health toolkit 'Achieving access to justice for victims and witnesses with mental distress', aimed at prosecutors and independent barristers who handle cases involving victims and witnesses with mental distress.
The prosecutors' toolkit complements Mind's good practice guide ‘Police and mental health – how to get it right locally’, which was published earlier this year. Read more about our work on improving how the police respond to people with experience of mental distress, including how you can help campaign on this issue.
I didn't leave my house for years because my agoraphobia made me petrified to go outside I had to trust my neighbours with my bank card and my PIN... even though I knew they were stealing from me and taking advantage.
A shocking 71 per cent of people with mental health problems experience hate crimes, harassment and abuse in their communities. Most fail to report them and those that do feel failed by the system.
Read the Another assault report
Success for Another assault
In Hackney, East London, a police officer with responsibility for mental health has set up a monthly drop-in surgery at the local branch of Mind, so that people with mental health problems can feel more confident to approach the police about crimes or concerns. He has also provided mental health awareness training to all frontline officers in Hackney.
Mind made substantial contributions to the development of these programmes.