Title: Inmate Suicide: Prevalence, Assessment, and Protocols -- Tripodi and Bender 7 (1): 40 -- Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention
Headings: Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention
Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention
Inmate Suicide: Prevalence, Assessment, and Protocols

Content: In 1983, there were 129 suicides per 100,000 inmates reported ( Hayes, 1995 ). In fact, the majority (56%) of jail deaths in 1983 were due to suicide. In 2002, the suicide rate in jails decreased to 47 suicides per 100,000 inmates (Tartaro & Lester, 2005). In 1997, suicide was the leading cause in prisons ( Hayes, 1997 ); however, natural causes (52%) recently surpassed suicide (32%) as the most frequently cited cause of death. View larger version (20K): [in this window]
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FIGURE 1 Graph adapted from Mumola (2005). Certain types of facilities are at increased risk for suicide. Larger jails have fewer suicides than smaller jail facilities; with the nation's 50 largest jail systems (29 per 100,000 inmates) reporting half as many suicides as other jails (57 per 100,000 inmates).