In 1984 there were more than 300 county jails and police lockup facilities in counties outside of New York City; these upstate facilities housed approximately 7,500 inmates. Between 1983 and 1984, the number of suicides in these jails increased from 17 to 26. In addition, local jail administrators reported increased numbers of persons incarcerated with serious mental health problems and requested support from the State mental health system. Through the cooperation of corrections and mental health agencies, a task force was established to review the problem. The task force found that jails throughout the State lacked systemic strategies for identifying and responding to persons in local jails who presented a high suicide risk. In 1985 the State implemented a comprehensive suicide prevention program within its upstate local jail facilities. The program used key coordination strategies and risk-management service components. It addressed not only the immediate needs of inmates with high-risk profiles, but also focused on the impact of the stressful jail experience on this already vulnerable population. Despite a nearly 100- percent increase in the jail population, there has been more than a 150-percent decrease in jail suicides since program implementation. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 10 references