Year: 2001 Source: European Congress on Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour, (8th: 2000: Bled, Slovenia), p.157-161 SIEC No: 20041427

This article describes the incidence of suicides in custody in Austria from 1947 to 1996 with respect to important legislational changes regarding the criminal justice system. Within the 5 decades a significant increase of the absolute numbers of jail & prison suicides was evident in spite of the considerable decrease of the total inmate population, which was caused by a reform of the criminal law in 1975. Possible explanations are discussed. (15 refs