Jail suicides in the United States occur at a rate sixteen times higher than the general population. The National Center of Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA) collected data on 344 jail suicides to show that the average jail suicide victim is a young, white, single male, most likely 22 years-old, with no criminal history, and jailed for a misdemeanor, usually public intoxication. He immediately asks for protection after being admitted to the jail. Three hours later he hangs himself with a pillowcase or sheet strips. The suicide typically occurs on a Saturday night between midnight and 1:00 a.m. Records will indicate that the victim did not have a history of mental illness and had never tried to kill himself. Jails receive the gamut of suicidal personalities, and the jail environment is likely to trigger suicidal impulses; however, most jails are ill-equipped in procedures and personnel to counter the forces that would propel an inmate toward suicide. Inadequate psychological screening and training of jail staff are among the major weaknesses that permit the jail suicide epidemic to continue. Inmates with mental or psychiatric difficulties should be identified at screening and then treated or placed in an environment that will deal with rather than frustrate their mental health needs. Jail personnel should be trained to supervise prisoners regularly and properly. Further, they should be taught to identify suicidal gestures and be certain that persons manifesting such gestures are not placed in isolation. It has been shown that where the aforementioned steps are taken in jail procedures and staff training, suicides have been dramatically reduced.