Reducing the Liability for Prisoner Suicide Through Design and Management

• NCJ Number: 103363
• Author(s): R Atlas
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Paper presented at American Correctional Association 116th Corrections Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, August 1986.

Annotation

This paper examines previous research on jail and lockup suicides, explores the responsibilities of the supervising agency in preventing suicide, presents several case studies, and suggests management strategies to reduce inmates' desire and opportunity to commit suicide.

Abstract

Recent research indicates that suicide is the primary single cause of death in the Nation's jails, accounting for 59 percent of all male inmate jail deaths, 79 percent of female inmate deaths, and 100 percent of juvenile deaths in 1983. The highest percentage of jail suicides occur in police lockups, followed by jails and then prisons. Most suicides occur in the early morning within 24 hours of the inmate's admission. Case studies of the suicides in the Dade County Jail (Florida) and the Suffolk County Jail (Massachusetts) in recent years identify causes and some prevention measures for suicides. A review of civil cases brought against jail staff for inmate suicides indicates that staff are liable for neglect in providing for inmates' safety. Management and architectural strategies can reduce this liability by eliminating the means and the opportunity for suicide in cells. Specific management and architectural steps are suggested. 22-item bibliography.