NCJ Number
191467
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 46 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2001 Pages: 896-901
Editor(s)
Michael A. Peat Ph.D.
Date Published
July 2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article examined those variables related to prison suicide within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to establish a clear understanding of the phenomenon in order to develop improved prevention measures for the incarcerated population.
Abstract
Previous studies of suicide in prisons have focused on suicide rates and victim profiles relying on demographic data, with little emphasis on the precipitating factors, mental illness of suicide victims, and the differences between prison and jail suicides. The amount of information on prison suicides limits the understanding of risk factors for prison suicide. This study examined psychopathology and stressors suffered by suicide victims, and specifically described the characteristics of suicides in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice between June 1996 and June 1997. Twenty-five cases of inmate suicide within facilities of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice were reviewed. Results unique to this study described the following characteristics of prison suicide: (1) more than 90 percent of all persons who commit suicide had a diagnosable psychiatric illness with depression and alcohol use as the most common diagnoses; (2) inmates charged with alcohol or drug related crimes were more suicidal and committed suicide during the first hours and days after arrest; (3) certain stressors experienced by Texas prison suicide victims were acute trauma, disrupted relationship, sentence hearing, and/or acute medical condition; and (4) forty-four percent of Texas prison suicide victims were charged with violent crimes and 56 percent were charged with nonviolent crimes. These findings were seen as going beyond the demographics or history of mental illness of suicide victims. Tables, graphs, and references