By Lori Whitten, Staff Writer, RTI International, Rockville, MD
“A suicide in a correctional facility is just like one anywhere else — a terrible human tragedy that has massive reverberations across many people,” says James L. Knoll IV, M.D. Those reverberations negatively affect the inmate’s family, of course, but they also have a tremendous impact on correctional staff and administration, who may also find themselves in legal jeopardy: families often litigate, alleging negligence on the part of mental health staff. Dr. Knoll, a psychiatrist who also serves as an expert in legal cases, says that good suicide risk assessment is a central component to providing the required standard of care, decreasing inmate suicides, and reducing professional liability.
This blog is funded by a contract from the National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.