Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

A hospital that provides care and treatment to people who are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others because of their mental illness and who need to be held securely and prevented from leaving. Most people who stay in a secure hospital have committed a criminal offence while mentally ill, or been diagnosed with a mental illness while in prison, and cannot be safely supported anywhere else. There are three main categories of secure hospital: high, medium and low secure.