Suicide? Accident? Predictable? Avoidable? The psychological autopsy in jail suicides

The psychological autopsy is a timely adjunct to the suicide detection and prevention efforts emerging in many jails. These efforts can only be enhanced by a thorough review of what went right or wrong for a particular inmate. Conducted in a nonthreatening spirit of peer review, the psychological autopsy can provide staff with closure and new knowledge which will allow them to proceed more effectively and confidently in safeguarding other inmates.