NCJ Number
190468
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 63 Issue: 5 Dated: August 2001 Pages: 90-97
Date Published
August 2001
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article examines suicide prevention efforts in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
Abstract
Groups in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) that are at special risk for suicide include: (1) inmates with mental illnesses; (2) abusers of alcohol and other drugs; (3) male inmates; (4) Caucasian inmates; (5) elderly offenders; (6) inmates in administrative placement; (7) sex offenders; (8) lifers and long-term offenders; (9) parole violators; (10) inmates in community corrections centers; (11) violent offenders; and (12) correctional staff. The article observes that comprehensive initial and ongoing training and cross-training for correctional, mental health, and medical staff are the cornerstones of suicide prevention. In addition, the State DOC should rewrite suicide prevention policies and develop other formal mechanisms to force collaboration between custody and clinical staff members. Other suicide prevention measures include: expanding the continuum of mental health treatment services for inmates with mental illnesses; diverting mentally ill inmates from placement in administrative segregation; disseminating suicide prevention and mental health information to inmates; increasing the comprehensiveness of clinical reviews following suicides and serious gestures; enhancing services for mentally ill inmates; and improving services and support to staff members. Table, references