Development of the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway: A summary of the underpinning evidence

The Offender Personality Disorder Pathway programme is a jointly commissioned initiative between NHS England and Her Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS), the aim of which is to provide a pathway of psychologically informed services for offenders who are likely to be diagnosed with personality disorder. This paper aims to describe the underpinning evidence behind the principles and expectations of services that make up the OPD pathway programme. Evidence of personality disorder treatments from mental health settings, as well as the evidence base from the criminal justice system and the Ministry of Justice’s ‘What Works?’ literature, is considered and draws together the evidence underlying critical elements of the programme. Research shows that there is no one treatment shown to be successful for the treatment of personality disorder. As such, a holistic approach is taken, with key components including trauma-informed approaches, a focus on relationship building, early identification and sentence planning, and the importance of workforce development and relationships