Prevention of suicides in Penal Institutions in The Netherlands. Crisis : the Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention
Suicide and Self-harm Prevention
April 2021
Full Citation
Blaauw, E., Carrière, R., Schilder, F., & van de Lande, S. (1997). Prevention of suicides in Penal Institutions in The Netherlands. Crisis : the Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 18(4), 170–177. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910.18.4.170
Abstract
Discusses suicide-prevention measures in prisons in the Netherlands, focusing on screening for suicide risk, monitoring procedures, incapacitation, provision of psychological support, and transfer of suicidal detainees to specialized institutions. It is stated that the most effective prevention programs are those that use a multitude of strategies, and that the implemented procedures must be clear to all employees in contact with detainees and must be applied consistently. Questions concerning which practices are common, which can be improved, and the limitations of certain strategies, are addressed. It is concluded that any improvements to suicide prevention measures must take the form of an integrated effort, of which screening is the most important step, enabling effective application of other measures.