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Constant Attention |
Combatting Inmate Suicide: A Need for an Integrated Approach |
 Cases about inmate suicide are not uncommon these days especially in the United States. In fact it occurs at a rate approximately nine times higher than in the general public. It is the leading cause of death and ranks third behind natural causes and AIDS in federal prisons. Given this alarming situation, correctional facility managers and agencies need to look at ways to help prevent inmate suicides and reduce their exposure to significant liability as evidenced in recent court cases. The Liability IssueEvery time media publicizes a prison suicide, public concern is heightened. The present image of the US penal system and the increased chances of being sued for negligence have state penitentiary officials continuously looking for cost-effective ways to curb the problem of prison suicide. It was only a few years ago that the City of Zion, Illinois, was found liable and fined $237,204 for an officer’s failure to constantly monitor a suicidal prisoner. And, when a juvenile prisoner suffered permanent brain damage due to a suicide attempt, his lawyers successfully sued the County of Lake, Indiana for negligence. He was awarded $600,000 in damages, and the county was denied the defense that they could not have prevented the suicide because of lack of funds for electronic surveillance equipment. Given this liability exposure, what measures can correctional institutions take to decrease the rate of inmate suicide and the likelihood of being sued for neglect of an inmate’s welfare? |
| "Insufficient funds is no excuse for lack of suicide preventive measures" |
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The Facts The Training Curriculum on Suicide Detection and Prevention in Jails and Lockups recommends that high risk suicidal inmates be placed under "constant watch", and be observed on a continuous, uninterrupted basis. Having a human being monitor a high-risk inmate on a 24-7 basis can be considered as impractical and virtually impossible. By establishing a reasonable standard of supervision and making the observation of a potentially suicidal inmate more frequent can decrease liability significantly. For example, at RCMP detachments in British Columbia, Canada it is standard procedure to inspect holding cells every 30 minutes, even after precautionary measures are taken to prevent incarcerated inmates from hurting themselves. 
Suicide-watch cells that are equipped with specially designed safety cameras make uninterrupted surveillance possible. While it cannot be expected that a single guard be able to remotely monitor every cell in a prison, it is realistic to have that guard monitor several high-risk cells from a central location. This way, he can detect suicide attempts before or as they are happening, and alarm a staff member for immediate intervention. To optimize any chance of resuscitation, victims need to be detected as soon as possible, and certainly no longer than 15 minutes after the attempted suicide. Given the statistic that 60% of victims are found more than 15 minutes after suicide attempts, the need for a better way to prevent, detect and intervene suicide attempts is evident. Properly monitored day and night-vision CCTV cameras coupled with direct staff supervision can mean the difference between the life and death of an inmate. |
| "Two out of every three suicides occur in isolation cells" |
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Another fact to consider is that two out of every three suicides occur in isolation cells. Inmates in solitary confinement have higher chances of considering suicide than if they are around other people. If the correctional institution feels that an inmate should be segregated into isolation, measures should be taken to ensure that this inmate be observed either directly or with the help of a CCTV camera that is constantly monitored. Institutions are more liable after a suicide when inmates have not been adequately supervised, especially when the inmate has already been considered to be high risk. The peak period for jail suicide is between midnight and 3 am. Why is this so? The most obvious reason is the decrease in staff levels. At night, when most inmates are sleeping, it is common practise that staff levels and supervision times are typically decreased. The second reason for the increase in suicides during this time is the cover of darkness. By definition, suicide is a personal event. A noisy, crowded prison on an active day is not conducive for such a tragedy to occur. But a quiet solitude in darkness beyond midnight allows suicidal inmates a moment to reflect on what they might want to do and the belief that they could achieve it without being caught.
Prison Suicide in EuropeIn 1999, 83 prisoners in England and Wales committed suicide, an increase of 22 percent from the previous year. A majority of these suicide victims were inmates in remand, waiting to be tried fairly and justly. Like other prison systems in the world, the excuse for this increase is a lack of supervision due to increasing prison population and stretched financial resources. In 1995 a suicide prevention strategy was introduced in the UK. This strategy involved physically monitoring inmates who were entering the penal system with a history of suicide or were susceptible to inflicting self harm. Four years after this strategy was implemented, prison suicide numbers continue to rise resulting in much talk about the effectiveness of this strategy. Helen Shaw, co-director of Inquest, an organization that campaigns against deaths of inmates in custody, commented in a 1999 Guardian Unlimited report that "It is a scandal that the figures keep on increasing, four years after the introduction of a suicide prevention strategy. Prisons have very good paper practices but they are not being implemented across the board and lessons are not being learned." According to the Prison Service, compared to other European countries, England and Wales ranked midway, headed by Scotland with 284 deaths per 100,000 inmates and Greece at the bottom with 57. So how can a budget constrained correctional facility administrator reduce inmate suicide rates and exposure to legal liability during recessive economic times and increasing deaths within a country’s penal system? New Technology in Video SurveillanceInfrared night vision technology was first developed for high-level military and government security applications. People who are hearing this for the first time may think of this as a drastic if not expensive solution. However, this technology is now in use at a commercial level in what are called Integrated Day-Night cameras or IDN™s. These IDN™s, which are essentially CCTV cameras with night vision capability, assist prison administrators in several ways. First, they allow constant supervision from a remote location, allowing the staff to efficiently and effectively see and hear all in high-risk cells. Second, inmates can be observed in total darkness. The infrared illumination integrated into the cameras produces no detectable glow, but allows monitoring staff to see the cell as if it were broad daylight. With this new technology, prison security can monitor high-risk inmates residing in their dark cells, and inmates can rest comfortably without the disturbing light that is presently needed to keep them safe. High-risk inmates can be watched on a 24-7 basis with a normal daylight picture that changes to an infrared illuminated picture when the lights go out. |
| "The correctional facility has a responsibility to keep inmates safe and alive" |
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Regular cell visits by prison staff combined with 24/7 video surveillance is a great way to prevent suicides. This integrated approach is also a major defence when up against a litigator. Yet, many institutions still question the use of CCTV systems in prison cells. The fact is that the correctional facility has a responsibility to keep inmates safe and alive. There is legal precedence in case law to support this responsibility. Putting an inmate under constant surveillance can sometimes be the only way to ensure that they are not going to harm themselves. Suicide-watch cells equipped with specially designed cameras can make constant surveillance of high-risk inmates possible and affordable. A New Type of CCTV Solution
Two new prison specific CCTV camera products were recently launched by Extreme CCTV Inc., a Canadian company specializing in infrared technology and precision engineered, extreme application surveillance products. Architects of correctional facilities and professional engineering authorities like Buford Goff and Associates are currently specifying these important products. The EX48 Conical
No-Grip® camera [EX48
- PDF] - [EX48
Installation Manual - PDF], as its name suggests, has a conical shape and a smooth no-grip surface that promotes safety in potentially dangerous locations. This patent-pending feature is critically important when you consider that 94% of jail suicides are accomplished by hanging and is the primary method of attempted suicides. Cells, especially those that are specifically intended for high-risk inmates, should be “anchor free" to minimize the potential danger to the inmate.This camera’s patent pending design prevents anything to attach to it, which is important wherever people are inclined to harm themselves. Since the primary duty of building engineers and architects is to ensure human safety, it is considered by many to be an essential specification camera for use in hospitals or prisons. The EX48 is also available in night vision models for integrated day night use. |
| "94% of suicides are accomplished by hanging" |
When thorough and constant supervision of an inmate is required, it is vitally important for prison staff to be able to monitor the entire cell, day and night. Extreme CCTV’s EX36
[EX36
- PDF] - [EX36
Installation Manual - PDF] Suicide Watch camera does just that. This camera is remarkably able to view the entire prison cell including all four walls and every square foot of its floor, even in pitch-black darkness. Its patented design makes it impossible for inmates to hide from the camera’s view, and ensures that staff members are able to see everything that is going on inside the cell in daylight and in no light. The corner mounting EX36’s rugged, no-grip design also minimizes the possibility of using it for self-inflicted harm. The EX36 also comes with an optional microphone for additional audio surveillance.The US Federal Bureau of Prisons, Corrections Canada, and the Home Office in the UK are currently using these cameras to successfully reduce inmate suicide at their facilities. Other places to install these cameras
Having the EX36 and EX47 [EX47
- PDF] - [EX47
Installation Manual - PDF] installed in other parts of a corrections facility provides security managers with some flexibility when it comes to isolating certain inmates.Intake cells are areas that are most prone to suicide activities. According to Allan Latta P.E. President of Latta Technical Services Inc., a leading security engineering consulting firm in the US "Given that this area is so busy and highly prone to suicidal incidents, placing CCTV cameras in more cells is a great investment for correctional facility managers and also offers them greater flexibility of use." The presence of surveillance cameras strengthens the capability of prison officers to monitor inmates regardless of which cell they are in. In Scotland, remand prisoners in isolation from the rest of inmates are also prone to suicide. In a BBC article dated July 12, 1998, Scotland’s Chief Inspector of Prisons Clive Fairweather was quoted saying "Remand prisoners do not get the best of conditions in prisons – they are often put in the most overcrowded part of the jail. They also have to deal with the anxiety of being incarcerated and having time to brood over their situation, including the anxiety of not knowing if the courts will find them guilty." Within the general housing area of a correctional facility is a ‘special situation cell’ where inmates with special needs are isolated for a certain period, usually short term. When longer-term seclusion is required, the inmate is then transferred to an isolation cell that is typically better equipped to observe life-threatening situations. Having CCTV cameras installed in both types of cells allows either cell to serve a dual purpose, long or short-term seclusion. The biggest hurdle in solving this issue is the inability to physically monitor groups of inmates and/or multiple facilities 24-7. To get past this hurdle, security professionals are looking for alternative solutions allowing them to constantly supervise several inmates and cells at one time, either remotely or from a central point at the corrections facility. 
To solve this issue, new technology incorporating video motion detection is now available in some of Extreme CCTV’s products, particularly the
EX38-NXIP [EX38-NX
- PDF] - [EX38-NX
Installation Manual - PDF], the world’s first Night Vision Digital Network Camera. This camera allows security professionals to capture, manage and transmit real-time day and night video images over a secured internet connection. Together with a captured image, an email alert can instantly be sent to a security professional whenever the camera detects motion or is triggered by input from an external security system.With an increasing demand for the capacity to monitor multiple cells and facilities from a single access point, the days of a "one prison guard to 300 inmate" ratio will soon disappear. Technology combined with ample human effort will help reduce the incidents of suicide at prisons throughout the world. SummaryPhysically monitoring inmate suicide is a one-legged approach to solving this escalating problem. More so, it doesn’t hold any substance when a lack thereof is proven in court. Aside from inmate suicide, another issue that is on the rise is the prevalence of lawsuits by inmates’ families suing prison authorities for their inability to supervise the prisoners in their jurisdiction. Suicidologists suggest identifying suicide prone inmates at the onset of entering a prison facility. This is good. However, this is not enough. This action, complemented by other preventive measures like having 24-7 CCTV cameras in all types of holding centers can help reduce the tragedies of suicide that occur too frequently in prisons worldwide. Furthermore it is the responsibility of prison authorities to keep the incarcerated ALIVE! FACTS:"Suicides are the leading cause of death in jails and ranks third behind natural causes and AIDS in federal prisons." "94% of suicides are accomplished by hanging." "Two out of every three suicides occur in isolation." 
About the Author:J.M. (Jack) Gin is a professional engineer based in Vancouver Canada. He is a regular contributing writer to the security industry on the topics of CCTV, night vision and infrared illumination. He is also the founder and president of Extreme CCTV Inc. with offices in the UK, Canada and the USA. References(1) Hayes, Lindsay M., Training Curriculum on Suicide Detection and Prevention in Jails and Lockups, Second Edition, National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, 1995. (2) Hayes, Lindsay M., National Study of Jail Suicides: Seven Years Later, National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, 1988 (3) AELE LAW LIBRARY OF CASE SUMMARIES: Corrections Law for Jails, Prisons and Detention Facilities {Accessed May 3rd 2001}. (http://www.aele.org/jc107.html) (4) "Call to cut prison suicides" BBC news ONLINE. 12 July 1998 (http://news.bbc.co.uk) (5) Gentleman, Amelia. "Penal reformers condemn rise in prison suicides". The Guardian. 5 January 1999.  Call to Cut Prison Suicides. Scotland's prison suicide rate is much higher than in England.Read more [+]
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