Suicide in Jails and Prisons

Anasseril E. Daniel, MD, discusses suicide prevention in jails and prisons and provides tips, techniques, and guidance to save lives. The author examines the role of correctional officers and mental health professionals in identifying at-risk inmates, monitoring, and treating them to mitigate the risk.

Suicide in Jails and Prisons: Preventive and Legal Perspectives provides a comprehensive overview of the important issues in suicide-related lawsuits. With increasing legal procedures, this book outlines how best an expert can assist the trier of fact reach a just legal outcome.

Author Biography

Suicide in Jails and Prisons: Preventive and Legal Perspectives offers valuable insights into how to prevent suicide and what happens in the legal arena after an inmate commits suicide or engages in a serious suicide attempt, leaving him/her with tragic physical complications. When I worked as a staff psychiatrist in Boone County Jail and later as an administrator at the Missouri Department of Corrections, I was intrigued and touched by inmates who considered taking their lives, which kindled my interest to study more to understand their profile, including their psychiatric diagnoses and specifically their mental states and what precipitated their ultimate choice. As I researched more, I realized that most suicides in jails and prisons are preventable. This book reflects my understanding and expertise acquired over several decades studying suicidal inmates.Suicide is the number one cause of death in US jails and the third cause of death in prisons. The legal ramifications and emotional and financial consequences of these deaths are staggering. Millions of dollars are paid out to the survivors. How can these deaths be prevented and avoid lawsuits?The stakeholders include jail and prison staff, including correctional officers, physicians, medical directors, Wardens and Sheriffs, mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, therapists, mental health workers, experts, and attorneys, and to some extent the families of those who took their lives.I have written over 45 articles in peer-reviewed journals on psychiatric diagnosis, treatment, and various forensic topics, many on inmates’ risk identification and preventing suicide. My articles have been cited over 6000 times by researchers and authors worldwide. I have consulted on over 75 suicide-related lawsuits. I have testified by deposition or in a jury trial over 25 times. My goal is to share the knowledge and expertise gathered from these activities, which will be useful for many experts and attorneys. Although I spend my professional time working as a forensic psychiatrist, I take long walks to refresh my mind and read biographies of historical figures in my spare time. Also, I enjoy spending time with my wife, children, and grandchildren. Based on my book, an online course, Prevent Suicide in Jails and Prisons: Avoid Lawsuits, will be available soon. For more information, visit www. PrisonSuicide ExpertWitness.com. Follow me on my LinkedIn page and Facebook page of Daniel Forensic Psychiatric Services.