Although current data do not permit a comparative analysis of prison suicide rates and prevention programs, they do provide several useful findings. First, the rate of suicide in prisons throughout the Nation during the past 10 years was 20.6 per 100,000 inmates, a rate more than 50 percent higher than that of the general population, yet far below the rate of jail suicides. Second, States with small prison populations apparently have a very high rate of suicides, often more than two-and-one-half times the national average. Third, apart from the year 1993, the rate of prison suicides has declined gradually throughout the Nation since 1985, punctuated by a dramatic decline after 1989. Finally, the prison suicide rate for 1993 -- 17.8 per 100,000 inmates -- could indicate an upward trend or merely an aberration. The Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel, La., was selected for a case study of an effective suicide prevention program. This facility processed 57,091 inmates from January 1983 to October 1994. During this 12-year period, only one inmate committed suicide. The suicide prevention program has the components of staff training for suicide recognition and intervention, intake screening and assessment to identify suicidal inmates, appropriate housing for suicidal inmates, various levels of supervision, intervention, and administrative review. 7 tables, 10 notes, and 54 references