Jail suicides are as institutionally significant as they are tragic. Consequently, jail administrators remain concerned about legal liability, espe cially when their policies and customs are brought into question. Indeed, as jail suicide litigation takes form, the focus of the suit is typically aimed at insti tutional problems, including deficiencies in training, monitoring, and condi tions. This study examines jail suicide litigation by analyzing a sample of 77 lawsuits. Our findings reveal patterns of key deficiencies in institutional prac tice and custom; accordingly, recommendations for jail policy and suicide pre vention strategies are offered.
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