Citation

Gowda GS, Shadakshari D, Vajawat B, Reddi VSK, Math SB, Murthy P. Lancet Psychiatry 2021; 8(8): e19.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00233-9

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Prison suicide rates worldwide are around three times higher in men and nine times higher in women than those in the general population, underscoring an urgent need to address this issue. Prison population-based research on prevalence, trends, and magnitude of suicide in India is sparse and inconsistent, which has limited the development of suicide prevention programmes specific for prison and custodial settings. We examined the magnitude, trends, and patterns of suicide in Indian prisons over a period of 20 years (2000-19), taking data from the only national public database suitable for this purpose (the Government of India's National Crime Records Bureau).

Between 2000 and 2019, while the total population of India grew by nearly 30%, its prison population nearly doubled, from 272 079 to 478 600 people. The latest National Crime Records Bureau report indicates that 95·80% of people who are incarcerated are men, and that 69·10% of people living in prison are awaiting trial. Suicide comprised 6·24% of all deaths reported in Indian prisons between Jan 1, 2015, and Dec 31, 2019.

The rates of suicide in prison doubled over 20 years, from 12·12 per 100 000 people, in 2001, to 24·23 per 100 000 people, in 2019 (figure). In 2019, suicide rates in prisons were 2·3 times higher than those in the general population. Even considering the deficiencies and differences in reporting systems for prison populations and the general population, this disparity is, nevertheless, a cause for concern. India's average prison suicide rate for the period 2015-19, 23·6 per 100 000 people, is equivalent to the prison suicide rate in the USA, but is lower than that in France and Belgium (90 per 100 000 people). Although reasons for such variability seem unclear, we hypothesise that some systemic factors, such as open jail and dormitory barracks, might have an influence on the lesser suicide rate in Indian prisons.

Language: en