NCJ Number
130893
Journal
Jail Suicide Update Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (Spring 1991) Pages: complete issue
Date Published
1991
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article describes two model jail suicide prevention programs: El Paso County (Colorado) Detention Facilities and Laramie County (Wyoming) Detention Center.
Abstract
The medical staff of the El Paso County Detention Facilities completes a comprehensive psychological assessment on each new inmate. A suicide assessment component is included. If the inmate is under the influence of some substance and also provides information suggestive of suicide ideation, the inmate is kept in the intake area to be re-evaluated hourly until there is a clear picture of the suicide risk. If an inmate responds positively to suicide questions and is believed to be in imminent danger of harming himself, mental health staff are immediately notified. Other features of the suicide prevention program are "fishtank" wards for the observation of newly admitted inmates, continuous staff monitoring of inmate behavior, accessible mental health services and facilities, and suicide prevention training for staff. The Laramie County Detention Center screens all new inmates for suicide risk, and all new inmates are housed in the intake section of the facility for the first 72 hours to permit observation of their behaviors. Inmates identified as suicidal are observed under one of the following three levels of supervision: constant supervision for an inmate believed to be in imminent danger to himself, observation at 15-minute intervals for inmates whose behavior indicates emotional instability, and observation every 30 minutes for inmates whose behavior indicates the need for further observation. A resource list of model jail suicide prevention programs