TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1983//
TI  - And darkness closes in...a national study of jail suicides
JO  - Criminal justice and behavior
A1  - Hayes, Lindsay M.
SP  - 461
EP  - 484
VL  - 10
IS  - 4
N2  - Inmates in county jails and police lockups commit suicide at a rate of 16 times greater than individuals in the general population. This conclusion was reached as a result of findings in a National Study of Jail Suicides. Documentation of 419 suicides in county and local jails during 1979 is presented. From demographic data collected on 344 of these suicides, a profile of the victim was constructed. The victim is most likely to be a 22-year-old, white, single male. He would have been arrested for public intoxication, the only offense leading to his arrest, and would presumably be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs upon incarceration. Further, the victim would not have had a significant history of prior arrests. He would have been taken to an urban county jail and immediately placed in isolation for his own protection and/or surveillance. However, less than three hours after incarceration, he would be dead. He would have hanged himself with material from his bed (such as a sheet or pillowcase). The incident would have taken place on a Saturday night in September, between the hours of midnight and 1:00 a.m. Jail staff would have found the victim, they say, within 15 minutes of the suicide. Later, jail records would indicate that the victim did not have a history of mental illness or previous suicide attempts. The special considerations of juvenile suicide, isolation, and intoxication are analyzed. Recommendations for jailers, public officials, and legislators are presented.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0093-8548
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093854883010004005
ID  - ref1
ER  -