Citation

Olivero JM, Roberts JB. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 1990; 20(2): 138-147.

Affiliation

University of Texas.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2201106

Abstract

Suicide is the leading cause of death in jails. Especially at risk are pretrial detainees. This paper provides clinicians who serve as consultants to jails with an overview of legal precedent concerning liability for jail suicide on the federal appellate, federal district, and state levels. Liability on the federal level is based upon actions involving deliberate indifference or gross negligence. A table is provided granting a summary view of appellate-level decisions on liability for jail suicide. Liability on the state level involves lesser standards of negligence. The paper concludes with several liability-generating scenarios.