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Report of the Working Group on Suicide Prevention

NCJ Number
118963
Date Published
1986
Length
103 pages
Annotation
The task of the prison service in preventing suicide by prisoners requires taking all reasonable steps to identify prisoners with suicidal feelings, to handle them in a humane and suicide-preventative manner, and to foster recovery from suicidal tendencies.
Abstract
The role of the prison service in preventing suicide is addressed in Section 2, and the general context in which it is carried out is examined in Section 3. Specific recommendations on reception screening are made in Section 5, referral during custody in Section 6, and preventive measures in Section 7. Staff training is considered in Section 8, while monitoring and conducting research into suicidal behavior and preventive efforts are examined in Section 9. Section 10 assesses the resource implications of the proposals that are summarized at the end of the report.