Yasir Kasmi evaluates the work of a specialist mental health team that attempted to change the behaviours of a group of extremely disturbed men

The close supervision centre (CSC) at Her Majesty’s Prison Wakefield is home to eight of the UK’s most challenging offenders, who are eligible for the exceptional risk unit. The aim of the CSC specialist mental health inreach team is to reduce the risks that these individuals pose to a level where they can be managed without enhanced supervision.

This article describes the roles, experiences, problems, successes and limitations of the team and what changes have been made from its inception in 2004 until 2012, when the author left his post. As some offenders no longer engaged with services, there was no quantitative data available on results. The initiative probably made little difference for most of the inmates, but speedy hospital transfer was achieved when appropriate, and the education and support of staff provided were appreciated. The CSC assessment unit worked well.