NCJ Number
178491
Journal
Jail Suicide/Mental Health Update Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: Summer 1998 Pages: 1-7
Date Published
1998
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The suicide prevention program of the Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD) in Santa Ana, California, formalized in 1988, is evaluated.
Abstract
The OCSD's suicide prevention program requires inmates to complete an intake screening and triage form that includes a basic suicide risk inquiry. In addition, the OCSD classification deputy reviews the computerized jail records system to determine whether an inmate was a medical, mental health, or suicide risk during a prior incarceration within the OCSD. A suicide risk assessment is conducted to determine whether suicide precautions are necessary for a referred inmate. The risk assessment process measures the lethality of suicide risk according to five factors (ideation/plan, resources, history, stressors, and symptoms). Any decision to place an inmate under mental health observation is individualized and based on the clinical picture of the specific inmate. When an inmate's level of suicide risk has been reduced to a safely manageable level, the inmate is transferred to a less restrictive housing area or to a general population unit. Inmates placed in a suicide precaution status receive supervision from both correctional officers and nursing staff. Case examples of inmates involved in the OCSD's suicide prevention program are cited. 6 references