Suicide and Self-Harm in Prisons and Jails

by Christine Tartaro Stockton University

Overview

The second edition of Suicide and Self-Harm in Prisons and Jails provides a comprehensive exploration of how the stress associated with arrest, sentencing, and incarcerated life can contribute to the onset of a suicidal crisis even among those who never before experienced suicidal ideation or self-harmed. Using the most recent prison and jail suicide data available Christine Tartaro discuses prison and jail administrations’ efforts to curtail the use of restrictive housing for inmates with mental illness, more recent suicide screening forms for incarcerated populations, therapeutic options for working with inmates in crisis, appropriate monitoring of people in danger of self-harm, and situational and environmental prevention tactics. Tartaro also provides examples of ways to structure and implement diversion and transition planning programs to improve the odds of facilitating offenders’ successful integration into the community and reduce communities’ reliance on jails to house and treat people who suffer from mental illness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498558723
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	05/10/2019
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Christine Tartaro is professor of criminal justice at Stockton University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Incarceration and Suicide
Chapter 2: Who Commits Suicide While Incarcerated?
Chapter 3: When, Where, and How Suicides in Prisons and Jails Occur
Chapter 4: Suicide Attempts and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
Chapter 5: Screening and Assessment
Chapter 6: Working with Suicidal Inmates
Chapter 7: Facility Design and Suicide Prevention
Chapter 8: Diversion and Transition Planning
Chapter 9: Litigation Issues
Chapter 10: Suggestions for Suicide Prevention

Editorial Reviews

As I predicted about the first edition, Suicide and Self-Harm in Prisons and Jails has become the standard text in the field. Keeping up with the stellar growth in research and practice, insightful criminologist Christine Tartaro not only critically updates the volume, but also reframes the whole topic within the current state of the art. Richly detailed, weaving together research, case examples, personal stories, and the law, the author allows the reader once more to appreciate and understand the complexity of suicide in prisons and jails; and how to help. This new edition is a prime contribution for forensic specialists, law enforcement and correctional officers, students, and those who investigate the deaths in prisons and jails for legal and liability issues.

Antoon A. Leenaars

A welcome update of the first edition. It provides an authoritative overview of recent and classic work on the epidemiology and etiology of prison suicidality. It includes work from a host of other nations, which sometimes challenge American based findings. Importantly, also provided is a critical examination of clinical/prevention issues including screening procedures, crisis counseling, reducing risk through environmental design, and litigation issues regarding negligence by prison authorities. The text has become the go-to source for students, professors, researchers, and practitioners.

Steven Stack

The second edition of this book continues to be a valuable source of information and inspiration for suicide prevention among those facing incarceration. Christine Tartaro covers all important areas of interest and should be at hand for those involved directly as well as indirectly in such an environment. This is an accessible concise text and standard reference for assessing and preventing suicide in prisons and jails.

Maurizio Pompili

Being locked up in the criminal justice system is a traumatic experience and may be so devastating that it could lead to suicide. Christine Tartaro astutely and compassionately identifies factors that contribute to the commission of these acts in custody, and then she specifically includes recommendations for preventing custodial suicides. This book is a must read for current criminal justice professionals working with this population, students who will be heading to this workforce, and policymakers who need to make informed decisions.

Risdon N. Slate

This book is a thoroughly researched and comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge on the subject of suicide prevention in the custodial environment. It should prove valuable for any mental health professional who works with inmates, as well as for correctional staff and administrators who are tasked with ensuring the safety of an incarcerated population. Overall, Suicide and Self-Harm in Prisons and Jails is a comprehensive, eminently practical guide to this critical topic, and represents an important contribution to the field.

Journal Of Forensic Science

This book is a thoroughly researched and comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge on the subject of suicide prevention in the custodial environment. It should prove valuable for any mental health professional who works with inmates, as well as for correctional staff and administrators who are tasked with ensuring the safety of an incarcerated population. Overall, Suicide and Self-Harm in Prisons and Jails is a comprehensive, eminently practical guide to this critical topic, and represents an important contribution to the field.

September 2009 Journal Of Forensic Science

A very much needed comprehensive and practical book. It will help in the hard work of preventing suicide in prisons. Highly recommended for anyone interested in suicide prevention and prison environment.--Maurizio Pompili, Sapienza University of Rome

Tartaro and Lester provide an accessible overview of the epidemiology and etiology of prison suicidality and self mutilation, as well as a critical assessment of clinical/prevention issues including screening programs, crisis counseling, environmental designs (that can limit opportunities for suicide), and litigation regarding system negligence. It is clearly the leading source on the topic for both researchers and practitioners.--Steven Stack, Wayne State University

Combining the skills of Christine Tartaro, an insightful criminologist, and David Lester, a leading suicidologist, Suicide and Self-harm in Prisons and Jails is not only timely, but also the most important book on the topic since Lester's Suicide Behind Bars two decades ago. Richly detailed, weaving together research, case examples, and the law, the authors allow the reader to appreciate and understand the complexity of suicide in prisons and jails, as both present very different rates and dynamics, and how to help. This book is a prime contribution for forensic specialists, law enforcement and correctional officers, students, and those of us who investigate the deaths for legal and liability issues. I predict that it will become the standard.--Antoon A. Leenaars, author of The Psychological Autopsy

From the Publisher