THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH WAS SUICIDE, WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 52 DEATHS. SUICIDE WAS MORE COMMON AMONG DETAINERS THAN AMONG SENTENCED INMATES AND WAS MOST COMMON IN THE 35-TO-44-YEAR AGE GROUP. ONE-THIRD OF THE PRISONERS WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE HAD HISTORIES OF PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS OR OF HOSPITALIZATION FOR MENTAL ILLNESS. ABOUT 69 PERCENT HAD HISTORIES OF DRUG OR ALCOHOL ABUSE. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO CASES, SUICIDE WAS BY HANGING. FOR THE MOST PART, PRISONERS AT RISK OF SUICIDE EXHIBITED A COMMON PATTERN AND WERE IDENTIFIABLE. THERE WERE NO SUICIDES AMONG FEMALE PRISONERS, WHO ACCOUNTED FOR 5 PERCENT OF THE INMATE POPULATION AND 3 DEATHS--ALL FROM NATURAL CAUSES. EXTERNAL CAUSES (SUICIDE, HOMICIDE, ACCIDENTS, DRUG OVERDOSE, METHYL ALCOHOL POISONING, 'LEGAL INTERVENTION') ACCOUNTED FOR 71 DEATHS. ONLY 45 PERCENT OF ALL DEATHS WERE ATTRIBUTABLE TO NATURAL CAUSES. A PRISON COMMITTEE THAT REVIEWED PRISONER DEATHS FOUND THAT DELAY IN HOSPITALIZATION OF PRISONERS REQUIRING CARE WAS THE MOST COMMON DEFICIENCY ASSOCIATED WITH DEATHS FROM NATURAL CAUSES. THE AVERAGE AGE AT DEATH WAS 34 YEARS. THE ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION OF PRISONER DEATHS REFLECTED THAT OF THE INMATE POPULATION. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT PRISON HEALTH PROGRAMS SHOULD FOCUS ON POTENTIALLY PREVENTABLE MORTALITY, ESPECIALLY SUICIDE AND DRUG OVERDOSE. HEALTH PROGRAMS SHOULD GO BEYOND SCREENING INMATES FOR SUICIDE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT AND FOLLOWUP, PREFERABLY OUTSIDE PRISON. ATTENTION MUST ALSO BE GIVEN TO REMEDYING DEFICIENCIES OF MEDICAL CARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH PRISONER DEATHS. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)