Suicide in prisons and remand centres

Suicide is one of the most common causes of death in custodial settings worldwide, accounting for around 10% of prisoners’ deaths. Suicide attempts and suicidal ideation are also more common among prisoners compared to the general population. The high prevalence of suicidal behaviours among prisoners is likely the result of a complex interaction between individual vulnerability and the high level of stress and deprivation caused by the condition of confinement. Among prisoners and inmates, the prevalence of well-established suicide risk factors, such as a history of self-harm, psychopathological conditions, aggressive personality traits, and childhood trauma, is higher than in the general population. Moreover, the loss of freedom and autonomy, social isolation, lack of purposeful activity, and victimization are prison-specific stressors that showed to increase the suicide risk among inmates. Given this complexity, comprehensive multifactored prevention programmes involving the administrative, custodial, and clinical staff are the most effective in preventing suicide.