An NHS trust has been ordered by the High Court to provide a bed for a self-harming young offender who was discharged to prison despite being considered "high risk" by doctors.
Sarah Palin, 19, was discharged last month from Pinderfields General Hospital in Wakefield following three days of treatment to nearby New Hall young offender institution, where she is serving a five-year sentence for assault and robbery.
Despite being supervised by officers, she continued to self-harm, and had to be returned to hospital. The Mid-Yorkshire NHS Trust must now treat her as an in-patient.
The Howard League for Penal Reform, which supported Palin's case, said her safety had been placed at serious risk because of the lack of adequate care she received at the YOI.
The charity's director of legal affairs, Chris Callender, said the case was indicative of a broader failing by YOIs to understand and protect detainees who self-harm.
He said staff at both the hospital and the YOI were concerned for Palin, and that the failure to provide effective treatment and support was systemic rather than down to individuals.
"The prison service's approach to those who self-harm tends to be punitive," he said. "They aren't trained to deal with people presenting these problems."
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