Inmate Suicide: Prevalence, Assessment, and Protocols

Although prison suicide is not a likely occurrence, it is the leading cause of preventable death in jails and correctional facilities (Way, Miraglia, Sawyer, Beer, & Eddy, 2005. Inmates are particularly at risk during the first 24 hr under custody as they face the reality of incarceration (Hayes, 1995). The risk further increases for detainees and offenders when they are held in detention centers or lockups with no way to post bail, particularly if this is the first incarceration for felony offenses. At this point, inmates are faced with compounded stressors. The jail environment embodies fear, distrust, lack of control, isolation, and shame and is often dehumanizing. Coping with entering this environment, inmates often feel overwhelmed and hopeless, leading some of them to choose suicide as a way to escape. Furthermore, offenders are likely to have several risk factors that predispose them to suicidal behavior, including preexisting thought disorders, alcohol or substance abuse problems, mood disorders, and previous suicide attempt histories (Way et al., 2005). Additionally, Tartaro and Lester (2005) found that prison suicide rates are correlated with suicide rates for adult males in the general U.S. population, pointing to the importance of societal risk factors alongwith individual factors. This article describes the prevalence of suicide for incarcerated adults, factors associated with suicide risk, methods for assessing suicide risk in this vulnerable population, and current protocols for suicide prevention programs in jails and prisons.