Self-inflicted Deaths in NOMS' Custody Amongst 18–24 Year Olds: Staff Experience, Knowledge and Views

Lives saved: Correctional officers’ experiences in the prevention of prisoner death by suicide

“…Consistent with research findings from studies on COs and death by suicide in Ireland and the United Kingdom (Barry, 2019; Ludlow et al, 2015), after any suicide-related incident, COs explain, the norm is for officers to continue working until the end of their shift. Some officers reported being unable to go home following an attempted death by suicide, for reasons that ranged from the need to complete required paperwork, to waiting to be interviewed by management, to staff culture.…”

“…Their words highlight that officers are affected by their experiences, whether they show it or not. Moreover, the impact of said experiences can be more intense when officers have worked closely or for a prolonged period of time with the prisoner (Cassidy et al, 2004; Ludlow et al, 2015; Tait, 2011). Overall, responding to traumatic events affects COs and, as officers’ words show, can have long-term impacts on their self and well-being.…”

“…In this article, our intention is not to deny that deaths occur in custody, or the tragedy of those occurrences; each life lost is a societal loss that deserves recognition in its own right, affecting the families, friends, staff, and prisoners living alongside the deceased. Our objective, using the voices of COs with experience working in diverse provincial and territorial correctional institutions in Canada, is to draw attention to the efforts undertaken by COs to preserve the lives of those prisoners in their custody and to unpack what such efforts entail and how intervening in attempted and completed deaths by suicide affects COs. For instance, in the United Kingdom, Ludlow et al (2015) found that “staff can feel unfairly blamed ‘when things go wrong’ and unrecognized for their successes in preventing deaths” (p. 57). Yet, there are many persons working in correctional facilities who are genuinely invested in the safety and security of the prisoners, the institution, their colleagues, and themselves and take pride in their occupational role, especially in situations wherein they are able to prevent an unnatural in-custody death.…”

“…Moreover, Barry (2019) found that, due to “feeling rules,” informal support achieved through humor and storytelling was preferred over formal supports. Nonetheless, Ludlow et al (2015) emphasize that quick and effective support is necessary for staff after the experience of death by suicide; however, they too recognize that engagement in formal support is low. Yet, support is critical for staff to effectively navigate future incidents of death or attempted death by suicide.…”

“…Sweeney et al (2018) reported that participants in their study generally admitted to feeling underqualified and as though they lacked the necessary resources and skills for navigating deaths in custody (see also Ludlow et al, 2015). Nonetheless, prison staff still felt accountable for the deaths, experienced guilt, and ruminated over the event (Sweeney et al, 2018).…”