Resource Tag: PRISONS

Suicide and violence are a major concern in prisons, and it has been suggested that alexithymia may be associated with these behaviours. Alexithymia can be defined as the inability to identify and describe emotions. This study aimed to explore staff’s understanding and attitudes about identifying and discussing emotions in prisoner suicide and violence. Twenty prison […]

Background: incarceration and mental health problems are empirically known to have a strong association. Many studies have confirmed the high prevalence of mental health problems among young prisoners in particular, yet none have been conducted in Cambodia. Objectives: this study aimed first to assess the prevalence of mental health problems and suicidal expressions among young […]

Suicide is often the single most common cause of death in correctional settings. Jails, prisons and penitentiaries are responsible for protecting the health and safety of their inmate populations, and the failure to do so, can be open to legal challenge. Further fuelled by media interest, a suicide in correctional facility can easily escalate into […]

High rates of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts (SA) are well documented in prisoners, however, few studies examined their co-occurrence in this high-risk population. Study participants were 1203 adult men randomly selected from 15 Belgian prisons, representing 12% of the national male prison population. Lifetime prevalence rates for NSSI and SA are 17% and […]

Worldwide, prisoners are at high risk of suicide. Research on near-lethal suicide attempts can provide important insights into risk and protective factors, and inform suicide prevention initiatives in prison. Aims: To synthesize findings of research on near-lethal attempts in prisons, and consider their implications for suicide prevention policies and practice, in the context of other […]

Single-cell and segregated housing are established risk factors for suicide in prison. The importance of these factors together may represent a disproportionate risk and are both modifiable. All single-cell housing in the New Jersey Department of Correcitons (whether segregated or general population) represented a higher risk of suicide than double-cell housing in the general population. […]

Need to Know: A Fact Sheet Series on Juvenile Suicide was developed by the Youth in Contact with the Juvenile Justice System Task Force of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. The task forceÕs Public Awareness and Education Workgroup developed this series to raise awareness among individuals who work with youth involved with the […]

Self-harm and suicide are common in prisoners, yet robust information on the full extent and characteristics of people at risk of self-harm is scant. Furthermore, understanding how frequently self-harm is followed by suicide, and in which prisoners this progression is most likely to happen, is important. We did a case-control study of all prisoners in […]

The purpose of this study was to systematically analyze existing literature testing the effectiveness of programs involving the management of suicidal and self-harming behaviors in prisons. Multi-factored suicide prevention programs appear most effective in the prison environment. Using trained inmates to provide social support to suicidal inmates is promising. Staff attitudes toward training programs were […]

The practice of self-injurious behaviors (SIBs) within corrections disproportionately consumes resources and negatively impacts staff. This manuscript features a case study of an offender currently housed in a maximum security prison who routinely engages in self-injury. Findings are presented along the tripartite themes of family background, suicidality, and SIB. Policy implications include supporting a systematic […]

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Background: Suicide prevention is a major challenge for penal institutions in many countries. The traditional approach relies on the expertise of health professionals and is supplemented by the intervention of other professionals and the inmates themselves. New methods of suicide prevention based on peer support have been developed in recent years. Peer prevention programs rely […]

Data are lacking about the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and suicidal behaviour in incarcerated adolescents in Asia. This cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and the prediction of suicidal attempts in 100 incarcerated males aged 12Ð19 years in Shiraz. Data were collected in face-to-face interview using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and […]

Purpose: To determine the death rate among offenders, especially by suicide, inside and outside prison. Methods: A follow-up of 1,025 inmates over the period from 1995 to 2006 was conducted by searching the computerized records of correctional services and coroner files for data on suicidal behaviour and death. Results: There were 47 deaths (4.59%) from […]

Few studies of prison suicide have focused on suicide among female inmates, and even fewer studies have provided comparisons of rates by gender. Using national data on U.S. prisons and suicide, this study examined the Ògender paradoxÓ in prison suicide rates by comparing suicide rates of female and male inmates and U.S. residents and then […]

Systems Training for Emotional Predictability and Problem Solving (STEPPS) is a manual-based group treatment of persons with borderline personality disorder (BPD). We report results from a study of offenders supervised by the Iowa Department of Corrections. Seventy-seven offenders participated in STEPPS groups. The offenders experienced clinically significant improvement in BPD-related symptoms (d = 1.30), mood, […]

Suicidal ideation and attempts are highly prevalent among prisoners compared to the general community. Assessment of suicide risk is a critical task for mental health clinicians in prisons. Attention should be given to ensuring assessments are gender- and culturally sensitive. Indicators of mental illness may not be accurate predictors of suicide attempt. Indicators of childhood […]

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This paper shows that preventing suicide risk in French prison regulations is thwarted in 2 prisons by professional criteria regarding credibility & solidarity, as well as by the balance of power between prisoners & guards, in addition to the realization, on the part of judges responsible for sentencing, of the risk posed by recidivists. The […]

This report includes 3 studies associated with inmate suicide within Oregon’s Department of Corrections. The first is a statistical analysis that recognizes inmate static & demographic factors that differentiate the average inmate from the inmate at higher risk for a suicide attempt. The second analysis identifies the inmate static & dynamic factors that differentiate the […]

This paper addresses suicide prevention, a problem that administrators in correctional facilities face on a daily basis. This policy paper analyzes the problem in depth by examining 2 alternative policies. The first is the Hayes et al 1995 report on the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center Suicide Prevention Plan. The second is a 1991 article by […]

This bulletin discusses suicide prevention in jails & prisons. Risk factors are outlined & prevention procedures are delineated, including: intake screening, post-intake observation & monitoring, management following intake screening, & physical environment & architecture. It is concluded the policies & procedures to prevent inmate suicide must blend security & medical responses in order to be […]