CO-CHAIRS
Within criminal justice settings internationally, across custody and community (i.e., prison, police stations, courts, and probation/parole services), rates of suicide are three to ten times higher than in the general population. Individuals in contact with the criminal justice sector often present with, and experience, a complex intersection of risk factors that significantly elevate their vulnerability to suicide, including histories of trauma, mental health issues, substance use disorder, and social, stigma, and equality challenges. These are often coupled with limited access to comprehensive/adequate support services and an environment which can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness and despair.
The high rates of suicide and suicidal behaviour within custodial settings also significantly increase the exposure to suicide for those who live or work within criminal justice settings, emphasising the need for suicide postvention.
The Suicide Prevention in the Criminal Justice Sector Special Interest Group aims to enhance suicide prevention and postvention approaches for people in contact with the criminal justice sector by supporting research, connecting academics, practitioners, and those with lived experience, and advocating for evidence-based practice. By fostering cooperation and shared learning, our goal is to prevent suicides and improve prevention and postvention responses and care across the criminal justice sector internationally.
Our Special Interest Group aims to provide a platform for bringing together diverse expertise, developing and sharing knowledge, and developing and evaluating more effective strategies for suicide prevention and postvention within these complex settings.
OBJECTIVES:
- Act as an expert point of reference for organisations seeking expertise in criminal justice suicide prevention and postvention.
- Facilitate and support international research collaboration and knowledge exchange, including seeking competitive funding.
- Advocate for enhanced suicide prevention and postvention approaches within criminal justice settings internationally
- Develop and disseminate evidence-based resources and best practices for suicide prevention and postvention
- Promote rehabilitation and reintegration strategies that consider – and aim to reduce – suicide risk
- Build a global community of practitioners and researchers around the criminal justice sector.
KEY RESEARCH PAPERS:
- Suicide prevention following conviction within the criminal justice system: a review of good practice using a social-ecological framework.
Slade, K. & Borschmann, R.
BMC Glob. Public Health 3, 79 (2025). doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-025-00199-x - Self-harm and suicide in custodial settings in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence and risk factors.
Aon, M., Jensen, M. S. N., Khabsa, J., Brasholt, M., Borschmann, R., Abdulrahim, S., Modvig, J., Jaffa, M. A., & Sibai, A. M. (2025)
Social Science & Medicine, 383, 118362. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118362 - Suicide, Self-harm and Imprisoned Women.
Walker, T. (2021).
In Forensic Psychology. Wiley. Crighton, D and Towl, G. Forensic Psychology, 3rd Edition | Wiley - What Differentiates Prisoners Who Attempt Suicide from Those Who Experience Suicidal Ideation? A Nationally Representative Study.
Favril, L., Stoliker, B. and Vander Laenen, F. (2020)
Suicide Life Threat Behav, 50: 975-989. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12638
If you would like to join this SIG, please fill in the contact form below:
