Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System

Prof Stuart Kinner, Head of the Justice Health Unit, has provided a witness statement to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. Witness statements are formal evidence before the Commission that will inform ongoing work and the final report. The purpose of the Commission is to provide the community with a clear and ambitious set of actions to improve Victoria’s mental health system and enable Victorians to experience their best mental health.

Prof Kinner’s witness statement included proposed reforms for improving the interaction of, and outcomes for, young people and adults living with mental illness with the justice system. Among the proposed reforms were: (1) independent funding and oversight in relation to consumer input to improve the provision of mental health services in the criminal justice system; (2) improving the cultural capability of custodial mental health services, especially in relation to Indigenous people; and (3) rigorous evaluation of interventions to improve health outcomes among people released from prison and youth detention.

The witness statement dated 21 July 2020 submitted by Prof Kinner is available here.

Other submissions made to the Royal Commission by the Justice Health Unit are:

• Willoughby M, Kinner S, Biondo S, Denham G, Drummond S, Young JT. Inequalities and inequities experienced by people with mental health and substance use issues involved in the criminal justice system: Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) commissioned report to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.  Melbourne (Australia): VAADA and The University of Melbourne; 2019 Jul 5.  Available from: URL
• Kinner SA. The mental health of justice-involved adolescents: Submission to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. Melbourne (Australia): The University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children’s Research Unit; 2019.  Available from: URL