Fifty Years of Prison Suicide in Austria: Does Legislation Have an Impact?

The absolute & relative frequency of suicides in jails & prisons in Austria from 1947-96 is described. Important legislation changes regarding the criminal justice system are discussed with regard to possible consequences for the incidence of inmate suicide. Within the 5 decades a significant increase in the absolute numbers of jail suicides was evident in spite of the considerable decrease in the total inmate population. Possible reasons for this are discussed in relation to changes in the law.