Jeffrey Epstein’s death – officially ruled a suicide on Friday – draws attention to a dark trend in U.S. prisons and jails. There are approximately 50 suicides in jail for every 100,000 inmates, making the jail suicide rate 3.5 times higher than that of the general population.
“Suicide in jails and prisons is more than a personal tragedy,” writes Austin Sarat of Amherst College. “It often indicates a failure in the duty imposed on prison officials.” His story today explores why inmates kill themselves and how suicides like Epstein’s complicate the pursuit of justice.
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In jail, suicides occur for 50 deaths per 100,000 inmates.
Dan Henson/Shutterstock.com
Austin Sarat, Amherst College
People in jail kill themselves at a rate 3.5 times higher than that of the general population.
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