Toward Understanding State-Level Jail Mortality: Correlates of Death by Suicide and by Natural Causes, 1977 and 1982

This article examines the rates & causes of inmate suicide & death by natural causes. The author presents information from the 1978 & 1983 U.S. censuses of more than 3,300 jails in 45 states. He discusses both intra- & extra-institutional characteristics which contribute to inmate mortality. Possible contributing factors are: the average length of stay, total jail population, a region, per capita expenditure, overcrowding, & staff patterns. (VM)