THE STUDY FOUND INMATES WITH SENTENCES OF MORE THAN 18 MONTHS' DURATION, WHETHER ANTICIPATED OR ACTUALLY RECEIVED, HAD SIX TO SEVEN TIMES GREATER RISK OF SUICIDE THAN THOSE SERVING SHORTER SENTENCES. THE SUICIDE WAS MOST LIKELY TO BE COMMITTED DURING THE FIRST FEW WEEKS IN CUSTODY. ANALYSIS FOUND THAT 79 PERCENT OF THE MEN WERE SINGLE OR SEPARATED, 54 PERCENT HAD BEEN LIVING IN LODGINGS ALONE OR WERE VAGRANT PRIOR TO THEIR ARREST, 45 PERCENT HAD NO KNOWN CONTACT WITH RELATIVES AND FRIENDS, 62 PERCENT HAD A HISTORY OF SOCIAL MOBILITY, 38 PERCENT A HISTORY OF PARENTAL DEPRIVATION BEFORE THE AGE OF 16, 52 PERCENT HAD SHOWN SOME DEGREE OF AGGRESSION IN THEIR LIFESTYLE, 30 PERCENT HAD AN ALCOHOLISM PROBLEM, AND 11 PERCENT A DRUG PROBLEM. AT LEAST 50 PERCENT COMMITTED SUICIDE ON A SUDDEN IMPULSE AND IN 59 PERCENT OF CASES THERE WAS SOME EXPECTATION OF BEING SAVED. STAFF WAS AWARE OF POSSIBLE SUICIDAL INCLINATIONS IN ONLY 15 PERCENT OF CASES ALTHOUGH 69 PERCENT HAD SEEN DOCTORS FOR COMPLAINTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC CONNOTATIONS AND 39 PERCENT WERE UNDER SPECIFIC TREATMENT AS A CONSEQUENCE. THEIR AGES REFLECTED THE AGES OF THE PRISON POPULATION AS A WHOLE. THE HIGHEST SUICIDE RATES WERE AMONG THOSE SERVING LIFE TERMS, USUALLY FOR MURDER. THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT THE SUICIDE RATE LEVELED OFF AFTER THE FIRST FEW MONTHS AS THE INMATES BECAME INTEGRATED INTO PRISON LIFE. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (GLR)