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.
Christine Tartaro is professor of criminal justice at Stockton University.
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
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, Florida Southern College 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, author of The Psychological Autopsy 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, Wayne State University 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, Sapienza University of Rome
