A QUARTER-CENTURY OF SUICIDE IN A MAJOR URBAN JAIL - IMPLICATIONS FORCOMMUNITY PSYCHIATRY

Objective: The authors' goal was to identify factors that increase the risk of suicide in urban jails. Method: They examined and verified al l suicides as of 1992 in a representative large jail in Detroit since the beginning of record keeping in 1967 to 1992. Results: There were 3 7 suicides over this time period. Inmates charged with murder or mansl aughter were 19 times more likely to commit suicide than were inmates with other charges. Thirty-nine percent of the suicides were committed by individuals charged with murder. All 37 suicides were by hanging a nd most occurred at night within 31 days of admission. Many of the inm ates who committed suicide had made previous attempts while incarcerat ed. Thirty-nine percent of the suicides were committed by individuals charged with murder, constituting 2% of the admissions (two per day). Conclusions: An important risk factor in jail suicide not previously i dentified is the charge of murder or manslaughter. Treatment and preve ntion programs should recognize these inmates as belonging in a very h igh-risk category.