Suicide prevention following conviction within the criminal justice system: a review of good practice using a social-ecological framework

Journal article : Review

Suicide is a leading cause of death among individuals in contact with the criminal justice system, with rates far greater than those in the general population. Despite developments in research and practice around suicide prevention, few jurisdictions globally have implemented comprehensive systems or policies across the full criminal justice pathway. In this overview, we present a review of the current evidence base in relation to correctional policy and practice, along with selected examples of good practice in suicide prevention for people serving custodial or community-based sentences, predominantly from England and Wales and Australia. We utilise a social-ecological framework to describe the multi-level factors contributing to suicide risk and various approaches to prevention. While progress has been made, there are still significant gaps in both our understanding and implementation which, if addressed, would meaningfully enhance suicide prevention for this marginalised population.

Authors: Slade, K; Borschmann, R

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: BioMed Central
• Journal: BMC Global and Public Health
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 1
• Article number: 79
• Publication date: 2025-09-03
• Acceptance date: 2025-08-19
• DOI: 10.1186/s44263-025-00199-x
• EISSN: 2731913X
• ISSN: 2731913X
• Language: English
• Keywords: Prevention; Prison; Probation; Suicide; Criminal justice
• Subtype: Review