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: Hayes, 1997; Tartaro & Lester, 2005 ). The differences in suicide rates between inmates and the general public are inconsistent, however, ranging from three to nine times higher in correctional facilities ( Hall & Gabor, 2004; Hayes, 1997; Tartaro & Lester, 2005 ). The U.S. prison population was 258,165 in 1978, increased to 969,216 in 1996, and was over 2 million in 2005 ( Tartaro & Lester, 2005; Travis, 2005 ). Logically, the number of inmate suicides increased along with the prison population. There were 60 prison inmate suicides in 1978, and this number increased to 155 in 1995. However, this seeming increase in prison suicides appears to be due, in part, to the large increase in the prison population, as suicide rates have actually decreased from 23 suicides per 100,000 inmates in 1978 to 16 suicides per 100,000 inmates in 1995 ( Tartaro & Lester, 2005 ).