Jail Suicide Prevention Programs For Correctional Facilities

Jail Suicide Prevention Programs

Resources For Jail Suicide Prevention

During a suicidal crisis, an individual’s thought processes become constrained and less adaptable, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of pain and desperation. While in jail or prison, their customary coping mechanisms may be inaccessible, and support systems such as family, friends, religion, and hope might be strained. 

Fortunately, there are tools and interventions available for jail suicide prevention. These involve addressing mental health conditions, devising strategies to manage suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and restricting access to potentially lethal means. By limiting access to means and assisting individuals through the immediate crisis, valuable time can be bought to navigate through it, potentially saving lives.

Suicide Prevention For Correctional Facilities

Suicide remains the leading cause of death in correctional facilities and is a consistent challenge in the safe operation of a correctional facility. Jails are particularly challenged with the potential for an adverse event because they receive new arrestees directly from the street, and in many instances, know little or nothing about the individual or their health information. Co-occurring issues, such as substance use disorder, opioid use disorder, and untreated mental illness are significant risk factors that can increased the likelihood of an arrestee attempting to self-harm while in custody.

Programs for suicide prevention in correctional facilities are a necessary component of day-to-day operations to ensure safety for its residents, as well as its staff.  NCCHC Resources can develop  comprehensive suicide prevention programs that are tailored to your individual facility’s operations, and incorporate all facets of health services, mental health services, custody, training, policy development, with consideration of the facility’s physical plant design.

Our consultants are national experts in jail suicide prevention and will produce a customized, comprehensive, actionable written report with solutions that will provide your custody and health care staff with the recommendations and resources necessary to establish or improve your facility’s suicide prevention program.  Working together, we provide our clients with the ability to make significant strides in reducing the risk of suicide and other adverse self-harm events, ultimately making facilities safer for residents and staff.

For more information, request a meeting or contact us by phone or email.