SUICIDES INSIDE AND OUTSIDE PRISON - A COMPARISON OF THE EVOLUTION AND SITUATION (1852-1974)

• NCJ Number: 20484
• Journal: Revue de science criminelle et de droit penal compare Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL-JUNE 1976) Pages: 465-472
• Author(s): J C CHESNAIS
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Editions Sirey
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: French
• Country: France

Annotation

A COMPARISON OF SUICIDE RATES IN PRISONS AND IN THE GENERAL POPULATION IN FRANCE BASED ON STATISTICS FROM 1852 TO 1974.

Abstract

IN CONSIDERING WHETHER THE WORLD OF PRISON IS PATHOGENIC, THE AUTHOR POINTS OUT THAT THE RATE OF SUICIDE IN PRISON IS CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN IN THE GENERAL MALE POPULATION IN FRANCE. AFTER REVIEWING BRIEFLY THE METHODOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES IN MEASURING SUICIDE RATES, HE NOTES THAT IN THE PERIOD FOR WHICH DATA ARE AVAILABLE, BOTH PRISON SUICIDES AND PRISON POPULATIONS VARIED GREATLY. HE POINTS OUT, HOWEVER, THAT SUICIDE RATES TENDED TO INCREASE IN PRISON AT TIMES WHEN THE PRISON POPULATION HAS DECLINED IN SIZE. THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PERIOD, PRISON SUICIDE RATES GENERALLY WERE 2 TO 10 TIMES AS HIGH AS THE RATE FOR FRENCH MALE SUICIDES OUTSIDE OF PRISON. --IN FRENCH