The cornerstone of suicide prevention in corrections is suicide watch, which maximizes the safety of the individual, usually at the expense of personal possessions, clothing, out-of-cell time, interaction with others, and access to health care. The presenter will review the practice of suicide watch, how it has become a variant of restrictive housing, and options to make it more effective and humane.

Educational Objectives

• Review aspects of suicide watch that are counter-therapeutic to the mission of suicide prevention
• Describe obstacles to overcome in revising suicide watch conditions to decrease restrictiveness and maximize treatment
• Discuss ways to implement humanizing elements to suicide watch

Level: Intermediate