Criminal Justice Liaison Service
The Criminal Justice Liaison Service (CJLS) provides interventions to adults over the age of 18 who are suspected of having a mental illness or learning disability, who find themselves within the criminal justice system. It also provides advice to criminal justice agencies for persons who have not broken the law but pose problems in the community, and assist those persons to access to appropriate services provided by local mental health services or charitable organisations.
The CJLS provides a triage and screening service which is available for those who have been arrested and in Police Custody, charged with an offence and appearing in front of the courts, or serving sentences in the community under the supervision of the Probation service. It aims to ensure that people with mental health problems are diverted from the criminal justice system when it is appropriate, and to support them through the criminal justice system when the nature of the offence prevents diversion from occuring.
The service provides mental health reports to both the magistrates and crown courts to help them to reach appropriate sentences. It also assists the courts in obtaining full psychiatric reports for those who are being considered for detention the Mental Health Act 1983.