Sattar - Depression/Suicide Risk In Prison

Question 1

What is one of the main problems with the criminal justice system that increases the risk of self-harm and suicide for offenders?

Answer 1

The length of time it takes for a case to come to court

Question 2

In their longitudinal study, what did Zamble and Porporino find?

Answer 2

That prisoners show high levels of anxiety and depression early in their sentences

Question 3

What have studies on prison suicide highlighted?

Answer 3

The importance of both individual and institutional risk factors which contribute to depression and suicide attempts

Question 4

Name some of the situational and institutional risk factors?

Answer 4

Loss of social contact and relationship difficulties, victimisation by other inmates, being on remand for a long period and overcrowding

Question 5

Give examples of individual risk factors which contribute to suicide attempts

Answer 5

Mental health issues, a history of substance abuse, a history of self harm and difficulties in coping with the prison regime

Question 6

What was the aim of Sattar’s study?

Answer 6

To overcome the issues of validity in previous research by comparing offenders in the community who are serving community sentences or receiving post-custodial supervision with the prison population

Question 7

What was the sample of Sattar’s study?

Answer 7

Data collected on community offenders who died in 1996 and 1997

Question 8

What was the data on the community offenders compared with?

Answer 8

Deaths in prison in England and Wales during the same time period

Question 9

What were the death rates compared to?

Answer 9

The general population

Question 10

At any one time, how many prisons tend to be on suicide watch?

Answer 10

1500

Question 11

Over the two yer period, how many deaths of community offenders were there?

Answer 11

1267

Question 12

Over the two yer period, how many deaths of prisoners were there?

Answer 12

236

Question 13

What were the largest categories for the cause of death?

Answer 13

Suicide/self-inflicted death

Question 14

What age differences were found?

Answer 14

Natural deaths were more common among older offenders and violent deaths were more common amongst younger offenders

Question 15

What were the differences between the mortality rates of the three groups?

Answer 15

Community offenders had an overall mortality rate that was double that of the prisoners’ rate and four times the male general population

Question 16

What did Sattar conclude about prisoners?

Answer 16

That they are vulnerable to suicide/self-inflicted death, with a death rate seven or eight times higher than that of the general population

Question 17

What did this study find about violent deaths among community offenders?

Answer 17

Violent deaths among community offenders were an even greater problem then they are amongst prisoners

Question 18

What played a bigger part in the death of community offenders?

Answer 18

Drugs and alcohol

Question 19

Who else conducted a study into unnatural deaths in prisons?

Answer 19

Dooley

Question 20

What did Dooley find in his 15 year study?

Answer 20

442 unnatural deaths were recorded, of which 300 were given a verdict of suicide and the remainder consisting of verdicts such as consciously self-inflicted (CSI) injury

Question 21

What differences did Dooley find between the deaths classed as suicide and those classed as CSI?

Answer 21

Significantly more of the suicide group were on remand and more of the CSI group were female and the deaths occurred mainly at night

Question 22

What conclusions did Dooley draw from his study?

Answer 22

He concluded that prison can have serious negative effects on prisoners mental health and that suicide is more likely when a prisoner is on remand and at night