Custodial suicide in Australia: a comparative study of different populations

Research on custodial suicide has run into immense difficulties in its attempt to identify common characteristics of the suicide-prone inmate. In 1993, Haycock recognized these difficulties and called for comparative research to delineate the different risks posed by different sorts of confined populations. This paper contrasts the characteristics of different categories of confined inmates based on data collected by the Australian Institute of Criminology on deaths in custody within Australia between the years 1980 and 1993, inclusive. This form of research will lead to a greater understanding of the phenomenon of custodial suicide and the establishment of better preventive strategies tailored to the needs of specific groups and organizations.