Title: Preventing Suicide in Prison Inmates - Psychiatry Advisor
Headings: Preventing Suicide in Prison Inmates
Preventing Suicide in Prison Inmates
Linda Peckel
Patterns of Suicide in Prison
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Attempted Suicide
Methods and Opportunities
Prevention Strategies
References
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Content: Patterns of Suicide in Prison
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A 2013 report by Lindsay M. Hayes, MA, who served as a suicide prevention consultant to the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and conducted the only 5 national studies of jail, prison, and juvenile suicide, pointed to a number of suicide trends in prisons, including 2: The rate of suicides among inmates remained consistent during the first few days to first few months of confinement. The majority occurred during waking hours. Most suicides did not occur while inmates were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The occurrence of suicide was significantly related to a pending court date. The suicide rate in prisons and jails in the United States went down during the previous 20 years, largely because of suicide prevention efforts. By far, the most suicides among inmates occur soon after incarceration. 1-4 A Hayes study from 2012 found that nearly one-quarter of newly arrested prisoners died within the first 24 hours, and more than half died between 2 days and 4 months of confinement. 2
Attempted Suicide
Rates of attempted suicide are also high among prisoners. An epidemiologic study from England and Wales by Hawton and colleagues 3 reported that during the years from 2004 to 2009, the incidence of self-harm among male prisoners was 5% to 6%, and 20% to 24% among female prisoners.