Blog Post
Suicide is the leading cause of death among incarcerated individuals in the United States (Katsman and Jeglic 2020). This is nine times the rate of non-incarcerated adults. Some of the risk factors and explanatory mechanisms for this accumulation of maltreatment in childhood, feelings of hopelessness, and history of untreated depressive symptoms that lead to increased rates of impulsivity (Carli et. al. 2010; Wanklyn et. al. 2012; Ruch et. al. 2019; Katsman and Jeglic 2020). In a study of 1,118 incarcerated men Katsman and Jeglic (2020) found that 18% had attempted suicide at least once, and of those 51% had attempted suicide two or more times. An additional 16% had reported suicidal thoughts that they did not act upon. Additionally, they found that younger, white, divorced men were the group with the highest self-reported propensity toward suicide. Additionally, they find that those who grew up in the foster system were significantly more likely to attempt or consider suicide than those who did not. Similarly, those who reported having experience sexual abuse in childhood and those who grew up with at least one adult in the home abusing drugs or alcohol were also more likely to consider or attempt suicide. In another study, Carlie et. al. (2010) find that of their sample of 1265 male incarcerated individuals 42% report suicidal thoughts, with 13% attempting at least on time and 17% having a history of self-harm or mutilation. These men reported a history of substance use and scored higher on scales of aggression. They did not find impulsivity to be a factor.
This relates to research on juvenile offenders. Juvenile offenders who consider or attempt suicide while in custody are more likely to report physical and sexual abuse in the home, a parent or guardian who abused drugs and alcohol, and experienced a history of neglect and maltreatment (Wankyln et. al. 2012; Ruch et. al. 2019). In the case of juvenile offenders, the explanatory mechanism is related to a history of neglect and maltreatment that leads to depressive symptoms that go untreated or undiagnosed which leads to the development of low impulse control. This, when combined with incarceration, leads to feelings of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts and attempts (Wankyln 2012).
Tsopelas (2020) argues that the lack of privacy, overly rigid disciplinary tactics in prison, the constant fear of violence, and the guilt and hopelessness all lead to mental health crisis during incarceration that the prison and jail systems are unable and unwilling to focus on. From this we can see suicide prevention as an ethical issue to address in prisons.
Suicide is a major issue that is overlooked in the criminal justice literature. If suicide is the leading cause of death in the prison system, why does it get so little attention? I was interested in research this topic some because during my classes in this program, I have noticed the ethical issues of what care prisoners are entitled to come up many times. We have an attitude in this society that if someone has committed a crime, they should endure the consequences. Yet, if we treat their lives as not being important, that seems to lead to a situation where incarcerated individuals will be more likely to keep committing crimes because of hopeless and lack of other options. I think this is an issue that needs much more attention.
Cari. V. et.al. (2010). “The role of impulsivity in self-mutilators, suicide ideators and suicide attempters—A study of 1265 male incarcerated individuals.” Journal of Affective Disorders, 123(1): 116-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2010.02.119
Katman, K. and E. Jelgic. (2020). “An analysis of self-reported suicide attempts and ideation in a national sample of incarcerated individuals convicted of sexual crimes.” Journal of Sexual Aggression, 26(2): 212-231. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2019.1611959
Tsopelas, C. (2020). “Moral Obligation to Acknowledge and Prevent Suicide in Life Sentence Incarcerated Inmates.” European Psychiatry, 33(21). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.1662
Ruch, D. et al. (2019). “Characteristics and Precipitating Circumstances of Suicide Among Incarcerated Youth.” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(5): 514-524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2018.07.911
Wanklyn, S. et. al. (2012),” Cumulative Childhood Maltreatment and Depression Among Incarcerated Youth: Impulsivity and Hopelessness as Potential Intervening Variables.” Child Maltreatment, 17(4): 306-317.