Myths about Inmate Suicide

Myth: It won’t happen in this jail because it’s too small.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) released a report a while back that revealed a shocking statistic. In the year studied, the rate of suicide was 5 times higher in county and municipal jails in the U.S. than suicide rates in the largest jail. Yet, it is a common myth that even hangings, the method of suicide more than 93% of the time, don’t happen in small jails.

In a recent statistic, jails that hold fewer than 50 detainees accounted for 14% of all jail suicides. What are some of the reasons smaller jails have such a comparatively high rate of suicide? The following are some insights:

• There are fewer staff members.
• There are fewer resources that a mentally ill or despondent detainee can take advantage of.
• If the detainee is or has been in a position of authority in the small community, he or she may not feel able to deal with the shame of being exposed in crimes alleged against them.

Cited as the most crucial need for small jails is to stress the need for continued alertness about the potential for hangings. Training is needed so that the jail staff knows in detail the policies and procedures for suicide prevention and post-hanging interventions. There should occasionally be practice runs regarding how to enact emergency procedures for a hanging situation.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this ongoing series.

One of the purposes of this site is to provide information that is helpful to detainees in city in county jails in Texas. On this website, there is no intention to imply that any person or institution has been involved in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor