Moral Obligation to Acknowledge and Prevent Suicide in Life Sentence Incarcerated Inmates

Abstract

Introduction

For an inmate incarcerated for life we could acknowledge factors contributing to the desire to commit suicide, as social isolation, insensitive discipline, lack of privacy, constant threat of violence, fear, guilt, hopelessness, and depression are prominent in the life imprisonment.

Aims

To discuss the ethical issues of prevention suicide in inmates incarcerated for life.

Methods

We performed thorough research of the main medical databases, and web search engines for relevant studies, articles and opinions and reviewed them independently.

Results

Prevalence of mental illness is high among inmates and several common stressors typically herald an inmate's suicide. Suicide is often the single most common cause of death in correctional settings. Even though some suicide victims have consulted a mental health service-provider before their suicide, the majority of suicide victims were not mentally ill. The paradox, particularly for life sentence inmates is that we are trying to persuade an inmate to live within a disciplinary environment, which has as side effect the increase of suicidality of the inmates.

Conclusions

Prisons’ inability to protect the health and safety of inmates could raise ethical issues. We have obligation to adequate suicide prevention for all inmates, and we should be more broad minded as the will to die in mentally healthy individuals is beside an free will expression, a sign of serious lack of support and humane living conditions. We should be vigilant not to use the prevention of suicide programs as another way to increase punishment of life long imprisonment.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.