Suicide and Self-harm in Prisons and Jails

Police and corrections personnel must always be mindful of the possibility that those in their custody may attempt suicide or commit an act of self-mutilation. Persons housed in prisons, jails, and police lockups tend to be at a higher risk for such destructive behavior than members of the general population. Reasons for this can be found by examining the mental health, substance abuse, and physical/sexual abuse histories of inmates in addition to deficits in their coping skills and the stress and uncertainty generated by incarceration.

Christine Tartaro is associate professor of criminal justice at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. David Lester is distinguished professor of psychology at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.