NCJ Number
79980
Journal
Police Magazine Volume: 4 Issue: 6 Dated: (November 1981) Pages: 48-55
Date Published
1981
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the problem of suicides committed by persons being held in police custody in jail and describes preventive measures.
Abstract
Research has shown that the most dangerous time for suicides is during the first 12 hours of incarceration, while arrestees are often still in stationhouse lockups. In addition to the moral responsibility they feel for the welfare of those in their custody, police and jail personnel have become increasingly burdened by legal liability. Often when a person commits suicide in jail, the deceased's family will sue the city for damages. Although no exact data have been collected to indicate the number of suicides that occur in jails, one study estimates that about 1,000 jail inmates successfully commit suicide each year. Experts have identified several ways to prevent jail suicides, such as designing jails to minimize the opportunity for inmates to harm themselves; establishing drug, alcohol, and mental health programs, to take care of inmates with special problems; and screening arrested persons immediately, both in the stationhouse and in the jail. In addition, proper training of police officers, jail personnel, and medical staff to recognize and respond to potentially suicidal inmates is essential, as well as formal investigations of all suicides. Young prisoners, especially children placed in adult jails, make more suicide attempts, but older prisoners are more successful. Moreover, jail supervisors have found that suicides tend to occur late at night, when there is little activity and inmates and guards are less alert. Training both police and jail officers to be aware of signs of potential suicide includes watching for inmates who stop eating, give their belongings away, and are depressed. Photographs are included.