Rethinking American Jail Death Rates: a Comparison of National Mortality and Jail Mortality, 1978, 1983

The present study focuses on three death rates (suicide, homicide, and death by natural causes) within American jails, using jail census data collected by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 1978 and 1983. Jail suicides in both 1977 and 1978 occured at a rates approximately five times greater than the rate observed for the general population equivalent group. With the exception of suicide, all other death rates in American jails were considerably lower than rates experienced by either the general population or the equivalent population group. All 1983 jail death rates were lower than those observed in the previous census, however, jail suicides did not decline at the same rate as jail-based general rates, homicide rates or death by natural causes rates. (90 refs)