Signs of Suicide: Using Road Drawings With Inmates on Suicide Observation at a County Jail

This article discusses the use of road drawings as part of a clinical interview by an art therapist to evaluate an inmate’s risk for self-harm. Following an overview of suicide in correctional settings, the rationale & procedure for administering road drawings are explained. Examples produced by inmates who were placed on suicide watch illustrate how road drawings can access personal history, mental & emotional states, & behavioural patterns that may put a person at risk for suicide. The road also may function as a therapeutic metaphor for an inmate’s capacity for change & restoration. (26 refs.)