"They’re just waiting for her to die": How austerity turns mental health patients into prisoners

As mental health crises spiral, many like Lucy find themselves caught in a broken system where prison is seen as the only place of safety

An illustration on the mental health crisis by Kaitlan Bachan for The Lead

David* last saw his daughter, Lucy*, shortly after Christmas. They were in a taxi together, on their way to a homeless shelter in Cardiff. Lucy was enduring a major mental health crisis, complete with frightening hallucinations, and had been evicted from her home.

“I told her she …