TWO-PAGE QUESTIONNAIRES WERE DISTRIBUTED BY MAIL TO ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN ALL FIFTY STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. OF THESE, 100 SETS OF RESPONSES REPRESENTING 28 STATES WERE RETURNED AND WERE SUITABLE FOR ANALYSIS. THE ANALYSIS REVEALED 160 INMATE SUICIDES OCCURRED BETWEEN 1952 AND 1973, WITH 100 OF THESE TAKING PLACE IN THE LATTER DECADE OF THAT PERIOD. SUICIDES IN PRISON OCCURRED AT A RATE OF 17.5 PER 100,000 PERSONS AS COMPARED TO 11.0 PER 100,000 IN THE GENERAL POPULATION. THE AVERAGE PRISON SUICIDE WAS FOUND TO BE COMMITTED BY A 22-36 YEAR-OLD SINGLE CAUCASIAN MALE PROPERTY OFFENDER WHO HANGED HIMSELF....EB