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Suicide In Prisons: Overcrowding And The Need To Strengthen Suicide Watch Procedures, Emily A. Mahoney

Emily A Mahoney

Suicide rates for people in jails and prisons far exceed the suicide rates of the general public. Prison overcrowding has aggravated the problem of prisoner suicide by placing further stresses on prisoners without resources for psychological help. Currently, prisons deal with the risk of suicide by placing prisoners identified to be at risk of self harm on suicide watch. This paper examines the current practices in place for determining which prisoners are at risk for suicide and suggests ways that the process can be improved to reduce the risk of suicide among prisoners. Ultimately, these policies will have limited effectiveness …