Suicides in Prison

The suicide rate for prisoners is often four times that of the general population. While previous studies have tended to rely on official statistics and prison records,Suicides in Prisondraws directly on the experiences of both prisoners and staff. The interviews conducted by Alison Liebling help elucidate the circumstances which lead to suicide and attempted suicide. She provides further evidence to support the growing notion that suicide is not an exclusively psychiatric problem, but one in which a person's social support and coping mechanisms plays a crucial role. Suicides in Prisonshows how serious difficulties in the management of prisoners at risk of suicide may be exacerbated by problems of communication between departments, and that prison officers may lack the necessary training to play a major role in suicide prevention. Furthermore, Liebling insists that if staff perceptions and attitudes are not addressed, any attempt to improve procedures maywell by ineffective. Suicides in Prisonis of interest to probation officers, social workers and prison wardens, as well as those studying penology courses. It traces the recent history of the problem, providing the first major theoretical discussion of the nature and causes of suicide in prison.Liebling, Alison is the author of 'Suicides in Prison', published 1992 under ISBN 9780415075596 and ISBN 0415075599.