Community forensic psychiatric services in England and Wales

Forensic psychiatry is an established medical specialty in England and Wales. Although its origins lie in the 19th century, the development of secure hospitals accelerated in the late 20th century. Services for mentally disordered offenders in the community have developed most recently and it is these services, which are the focus of this article. We have looked broadly at community services and have included criminal justice liaison and diversion services in our remit. We have also considered partnerships between health and justice agencies as well as mental health and criminal legislation. We consider the limited research evidence in relation to community forensic services and the discussion this has provoked.