An Assessment of the National Incidence of Juvenile Suicide in Adult Jails, Lockups, and Juvenile Detention Centers

1,158 questionnaires were mailed to juvenile detention centres, jails & lock-ups in the US. This yielded a nationwide estimate of 479,908 persons below 18 years of age held in adult jails or lockups in 1978. The rate of completed suicide among juveniles in adult jails was 12.3/100,000; a rate 4.6 times that of juveniles in the general population in 1977. Among juveniles in adult lockups, the rate was 8.6/100,000, & for those in detention centers, the rate was 1.6/100,000. (RM)