Recognizing the Warning Signs of a Potential Suicide Risk Continued

Suicide prevention in jails encompasses the intake process and ensuring that staff members have appropriate training. A basic requirement for jailers, mental health professionals, and health care providers is to reach an understanding of how to recognize and respond to signs giving a warning that an inmate is a high risk for attempting to do himself or herself imminent harm.

Warning Signs that an Inmate is at Risk for Suicide

No warning signs that a person may attempt suicide should be ignored. A dangerous myth that heightens the potential for suicides in a jail setting suggests that when inmates talk about suicide, it is merely a scheme to garner attention. After a custodial suicide has occurred, correctional officers have often admitted that they ignored threats of suicide because they thought the inmate was vying for extra consideration.

So, direct talk about suicide is a warning sign that an inmate is a potential suicide risk. Other verbal warnings include statements or admissions such as the following:

• “My family would be better off if I were dead and gone.”
• “I wish I were dead.”
• “Yes, I think about suicide.”
• “I’ve considered how I would plan suicide.”

Any such statements expressed in writings such as letters and poems should also be considered a red flag providing evidence that an inmate may be at risk of committing suicide.

To learn more, see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, and Part 12 of this series.     

This website seeks to help Texas inmates in municipal and county jails by providing resources that could be of benefit. Making insinuations that institutions or persons have been involved in misdeeds is not intended.

–Guest Contributor