Suicide in prison generally take place shortly after arrest & confinement, usually within the first week. To the individual in the inexorable grip of the prison system, the decision of whether or not to commit suicide may be the only one under his control. In this discussion of prison life & the effect of incarceration on the prisoner, the author examines the question of individual choice. The choice may become one of punishment (prison) or death (suicide). (NBB)