Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Team

The team provides specialist mental health assessments and support for people who are detained in police custody or attending court, where there may be concerns about mental health, learning disabilities, neurodivergence, substance use, or other vulnerabilities.

We aim to identify needs as early as possible and ensure people receive the right support at the right time.

What our work includes

• Carrying out comprehensive assessments to understand a person's health, wellbeing, and support needs.
• Providing written assessments to a person's GP to support follow up care, appointments, or referrals.
• Giving written or verbal reports to the police or courts to help inform decision making.
• Instigating Mental Health Act assessments where there are concerns about a person's safety or mental health.
• Making appropriate onward referrals to NHS services, local authority support, or voluntary organisations.

Where appropriate, the team also offers follow up support in the community. This may include help from a support time and recovery worker and a peer support worker. They can provide practical and lived experience informed support to help individuals attend appointments, access services, and connect with resources that meet their identified needs.

Mental health professionals within the team also offer advice and guidance to police officers, courts, and other professionals across the justice system to help determine the most appropriate level of support for each person.

The team focuses on:

• early intervention
• working to address health and social needs at the earliest opportunity,
• improve access to care
• support positive outcomes, including reducing the risk of re offending

Reconnect is a care after custody service. It seeks to improve the care of people, aged 18 and over, leaving prison or an immigration removal centre (IRC) with a health need.

This service is delivered by Devon Partnership NHS Trust and provides support across Cornwall.

We work with people before they leave facilities to help them switch to support from community-based services. This helps protects the progress made in prison or an IRC.

Reconnect services aim to improve your wellbeing. We will work with you to reduce inequalities. We will also help you to tackle any health-related issues linked to your offending.

We will help you gain access to other local services. We can also speak on your behalf.

Reconnect services aim to help you:

• with your health needs as you leave prison or an IRC
• access other services who can help with your health and care
• make the move out of prison or an IRC easier
• stay in touch with the people helping you

What will Reconnect do?

• Help to plan for your release, we can do this for up to 12 weeks before your release date, this includes people on a temporary licence.
• Support you for up to 6 months after release or until your health needs are met.
• Make referrals to other services with your consent.
• Give you 2 named people to speak to before release.
• Help you get to know the community staff who will support you in future.
• Help you access peer support.
• Speak to prison and IRC staff.
• Work with physical, mental health and substance misuse and other services.
• Work in a trauma informed way that looks after all of you and your needs.

How can I access Reconnect?

Reconnect will accept referrals from:

• probation services
• police
• liaison and diversion services
• Home Office enforcement teams for people who have been released in the past 28 days

You can also self-refer or ask a friend or family member to make a referral. It is best if you discuss this with your prison healthcare team or probation officer first.

If you would like more information or would like to make a referral, email the Reconnect Liaison Diversion Team.

More information

• Reconnect service information.
• Enhanced Reconnect.