Psychiatrist appointed

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33095, 9 December 1972, Page 8

Psychiatrist appointed

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 7. The Justice Department has authorised the appointment of a full-time forensic psychiatrist in Auckland to cope with the growing problem of drug offenders in prisons. The Secretary for Justice (Mr E. Missens) told the Commission of Inquiry into Hospital and Related Services yesterday that this appointment should help cope with the growing load of work in the Auckland area which was aggravated by drug addicts in prisons there. Mr Missen said another problem was the number of prison inmates who could be classed as social inadequates, and sometimes borderline mental defectives. The Justice Department submission said the prison service would have to continue to rely on psychiatric hospitals for treatment of prison inmates. The occupational therapy section of the Central Institute of Technology told the commission that there was a need for specialised treatment units for children in mental hospitals, and that greater recognition should be given to inclusion of psychologists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, and teachers in the Mental Health Service.