Assignment task:
You Make the Decision..
Preventing Jail Suicides
The story of Maury Travis is troubling for many reasons. First, a life was lost, even though there was significant evidence of his guilt in kidnapping and brutally murdering several women in the St. Louis metropolitan region. Second, with his death, there are still missing women that fit the description of other Travis victims, and law enforcement personnel are disappointed that they could not question him for information regarding those disappearances. And finally, the county jail failed in its responsibility to safely house Travis and prevent him from harming his alleged acts. himself during the investigation and pending prosecution for
It seems that preventing jail suicides would be easy. After all, the inmates are locked in cells. But if someone really wants to commit suicide, it takes only a few seconds, and almost any oneself. Suicide prevention screenings upon admission are piece of clothing, sheet, or shoestring can be used to hang only as good as the information provided by the offender. And, as in the Travis case, even when an inmate is identified as a risk can still result in a suicide. and placed on suicide watch, weaknesses in the procedures
The issues to consider when developing a suicide prevention policy include (1) whom to place on suicide watch, (2) what clothing and bedding are allowed, and (3) whether to use inmate watchers. Keep in mind that it is expensive to place someone on suicide watch, and there are always limited funds for operation. It is easy to decide to place an offender on suicide watch if he or she admits consideration of suicide. But if someone has a minor history or no history yet faces a long sentence or the death penalty, such as Travis, should he or she be on suicide watch? If the person is placed on the watch, do you strip the inmate and not allow any clothing or bedding? This seems harsh, but keep in mind that almost any item can be used as a noose to hang oneself. Finally, many jurisdictions do use inmates trained as suicide watchers. They cost nothing and have proved to be good companions to suicidal inmates. Through their communications, inmates often end their suicidal thoughts quicker than if a correctional officer is watching them. But if something goes wrong, as in the Travis case, it is difficult to justify the use of inmates as watchers to the public. Consider all these issues and develop your own suicide prevention program.
Review this and talk about how you would make the decision..."Preventing Jail Suicides".