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Inmate Suicide Report, 1993

NCJ Number
149731
Author(s)
J A Lyons
Date Published
1993
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This report documents incidents of inmate suicide in New York State correctional facilities during 1993.
Abstract
The 35 inmates who committed suicide during the reporting period were between 17 and 61 years of age and included 17 whites, eight blacks, and 10 Hispanics. The largest number of suicide victims had been convicted of robbery; while drug offenders comprised nearly 30 percent of the inmate population during 1993, only one drug offender (2.9 percent of all suicide cases) committed suicide. Inmates sentenced from New York City committed the most suicides, but those from upstate counties had the highest suicide rate. Over half the inmates who committed suicide faced sentences exceeding 6 years, and 71 percent occurred among inmates sentenced to 10 years or more. The greatest risk of suicide occurred among inmates who had served 5 years or longer. Thirty-two suicides occurred at maximum-security facilities, two at medium-security facilities, and one at a minimum-security facility. 9 figures and 9 tables