Crime is a mounting problem in America. The good news is that the “nothing works” era is finally over. Over the past two decades, the tendency toward evidence-based crime prevention has increased and numerous evaluations have been conducted that have yielded growing knowledge about what works, what does not work, and what is promising. Evidence-based policy and practice is focused on reducing offender risk, which in turn reduces new crime and improves public safety. Of the many available approaches to corrections, a few core principles stand out as proven risk reduction strategies. Though not all of the principles are supported by the same weight of evidence, each has been proven to influence positive behavior change. For example (Martinson, Robert: The Public Interest 35, 1974:22-54) and (Palmer, Ted. Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency 12, no.2 (1975): 133-152).
nsistencies within practice as service users and carers are still feeling marginalised during the care planning process (Jakobsen and Severinsson, 2006). The Care Quality Commission (2009) and Healthcare Commission (2008a) both agree on the concept of there being a shortfall of service users and carer involvement holistically within inpatient and community settings. It can be contested that government policy remains inconsistent in tackling the social issue or perhaps, acknowledges the issue as being and individual matter rather than a social issue.
The psychiatric survivor’s movement is yet another service user led initiative, the movement empowers service users to acknowledge themselves as survivors of interventions by psychiatry this concept coincides with the strength-based approaches used within practice to promote recovery. The Hearing voices movement, Mad Pride and Psychiatric Survivor movements have a reoccurring theme of having the input of services users and their carers having a voice within treatment, care-planning and recovery.
Government officials could reduce adult hospital admissions, expenditure on the economy and social care provision through service user led initiative.
The on-going issue remains, the marginalisation, stigma and discrimination associated with people with mental health problems (DoH, 2016). Public education has been used to reduce this stigma; through the impact strategy, the Department of Health have created an initiative to working with the voluntary sector, service users, Mental Health Media and the Royal College of Psychiatrists to educate the public better about mental illness (National Service Framework for mental health,1999). Between 1997 and 1999, the Government spent over £2.5million on mental health promotion and public information nationally (National Service Framework for mental health ,1999).
It should be noted that carers are key partners who play a pivotal role in looking after service users of mental health services (Department of Health 2015, National Service Framework for mental health 1999). According to the Five Year Forward for Mental Health, the single largest cost of dealing with mental health problems is linked to the support provided by carers, with their contribution valued at over £14billion per annum. This again, reinforces the importance of carers and the need for organisations within the health and social care setting to take into consideration their best interest, needs as well as integrating their opinions and views into policies and legislations. In recent years, additional funding has been allocated by Government to provide support for carers (DoH, 2016). Although carers play a key role in the lives of service users, it can be very stressful for both the physical and mental health of the carers themselves.
