Inmate Suicide Prevention

By Todd Duncan, Law Enforcement and Safety Specialist

Inmate Suicide Prevention

Inmate suicide is a critical issue in local jails, posing significant emotional, legal, and financial risks. Corrections officers play a vital role in preventing these tragedies. This month’s Safety Short outlines the risks associated with inmate suicide and provides practical strategies for prevention.

Understanding the Risks and Liabilities

Suicide is the leading cause of death in jails¹, with individuals often at heightened risk due to mental health issues, substance withdrawal, or the stress of incarceration. Common risk factors include prior suicide attempts, depression, isolation, and feelings of hopelessness.

For corrections officers, the implications of inmate suicide extend beyond the loss of life. Legal liability can arise if proper care, supervision, or intervention protocols are not followed. Under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, corrections officers and facilities have a constitutional duty of care to protect inmates from harm, including self-harm. Failing to meet this duty can result in claims of “deliberate indifference,” which focus on whether jail staff knew of and disregarded an inmate’s serious medical or mental health needs. ⁱ

A specific example of a violation occurred in Farmer v. Brennan² (1994), where the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the standard for deliberate indifference. In this case, the Court ruled that a prison official may be held liable under the Eighth Amendment if they were aware of a substantial risk of serious harm to an inmate and failed to take reasonable steps to prevent it.

Another notable case out of Nebraska is Wever v. Lincoln County³ (2004), where an appeals court ruled that a county sheriff was not entitled to qualified immunity from a claim that he was deliberately indifferent in his training and supervision of personnel in dealing with the risk of suicide in a jail where two prior inmate suicides had occurred in the previous five years. According to court records, police officers responded to a 911 call from an emotionally despondent Dennis Wever. During his contact with officers, Wever consented to go to a hospital to see a doctor and offered to go with the police on the condition that he not be handcuffed. Officers eventually struggled with and arrested Wever, after which Wever made statements that “he would kill himself if jailed.” Officers booked Wever into jail where he was placed in an isolation cell and given a blanket upon his request. Wever hung himself with the blanket a short time later. Wever was the third person in five years to commit suicide in the Lincoln County jail.

Beyond legal consequences, inmate suicide impacts staff morale and the facility’s reputation, emphasizing the importance of proactive efforts.

Strategies for Prevention

• Sound policy. Implement a comprehensive inmate suicide prevention policy that includes training requirements; recognizing risk factors and indicators; intake screening; housing; observation/checks; treatment; intervention; responding to emergencies; and notification/reporting.
• Adequate Staffing. It is common to see smaller jails operating with a single jailer on duty, and oftentimes this person must also function as a dispatcher/911 operator. This practice poses significant risks, including diminished ability to respond to emergencies, increased likelihood of security breaches, inadequate inmate supervision, and heightened liability for the facility due to potential harm to staff, inmates, or the public. It is strongly recommended that agencies always maintain a minimum of two dedicated jailers on duty when there are inmates being held.
• Training and Awareness: Regularly train all staff to recognize:
  • Warning signs of suicide such as suicidal threats or comments, withdrawal, verbalizing hopelessness, drastic behavior changes, etc.
  • Situational risk factors such as previous placements on suicide watch; prior suicide attempts; substance abuse; high publicity cases with serious charges including homicide, rape, or child victim crimes; recent significant prison sentence; and harsh, condemning, rejecting attitudes from staff members.
  • High risk periods such as the first seven days in custody (44% of suicides), upcoming or recent court hearing, admission into segregation or disciplinary separation, anniversary dates, decreased staff supervision, or bad news of any kind.
• Communication and Documentation: Foster open communication among arresting officers and staff, as well as between jail staff members both on and between shifts, to ensure all relevant information about an inmate’s mental health is shared. Maintain detailed documentation of observations, actions taken, and decisions made to demonstrate adherence to protocols.
• Screening and Assessment: Upon intake, conduct thorough, well-documented mental health screenings to identify at-risk individuals. Collaborate with mental health professionals to assess and monitor inmates with identified vulnerabilities in a timely manner.
• Enhanced Monitoring: Implement observation protocols for at-risk inmates including:
  • Avoiding isolation and house with a cellmate(s) if possible. This reduces isolation/privacy, and cellmates provide a rescue opportunity.
  • Assigning to higher visibility cells with minimal or no tie off points.
  • Conducting frequent (continuous or every 10-15 minutes) documented welfare checks and video monitoring for at-risk individuals.
• Supportive Environment: Minimize isolation by encouraging appropriate social interaction and providing access to mental health resources. Offer programs that promote resilience and coping skills.
• Crisis Intervention: Equip staff with crisis intervention training to de-escalate situations involving distressed inmates. Provide all staff with easy access to emergency cutdown tools. Ensure clear protocols are in place for responding to emergencies, including calling 911 immediately and administering first aid/CPR as soon as the scene is safe/secure.

Conclusion

Preventing inmate suicide requires vigilance, teamwork, and a proactive approach. By understanding the risks and implementing these strategies, corrections officers can save lives, mitigate liability, and foster a safer environment for both inmates and staff. Your role in recognizing and addressing these challenges is vital to the mission of maintaining safety and dignity within the Nebraska jail system.