Safety Awareness

Introduction

This topic contains lists of indicators to help observe the offender's physical and mental state, and identify whether an offender is a safety risk. The indicators are:

• emotional and mental state
• physical state, and
• situation.

Emotional and mental indicators

The following are emotional and mental indicators that the offender is at risk of suicide or self-harm. The offender:

• appears "down in the dumps"
• expresses or shows overwhelming guilt or shame over the offence
• is severely agitated or aggressive (particularly when sober)
• projects hopelessness or helplessness
• appears to think especially slowly
• fails to concentrate or pay attention
• has no sense of the future, and/or
• expresses unusual or great concern, or extreme anxiety about what will happen to them.

Behavioural indicators

The following are behavioural indicators that the offender is at risk of suicide or self-harm. The offender:

• makes negative evaluations of him or herself, others, or life in general
• speaks especially slowly or flatly
• talks about or threatens suicide
• speaks unrealistically about their situation
• neglects personal hygiene or dresses carelessly
• tries to hurt or draw attention to him or herself
• wears bandages, or shows other signs of a recent or past attempt of self-harm
• shows marked behaviour changes
• has increased difficulty in relating to others
• has especially low energy levels
• acts calmly (after making the decision to commit suicide)
• is preoccupied with the past, or not dealing with the present, and/or
• has recently taken action to settle their affairs (eg. closed a bank account, packed or given away their belongings).

Situational indicators of safety risks

The following situations carry a high risk of suicide or self-harm.

The offender:

• uses drugs or alcohol, when:
  • depressed, or
  • fear of going through withdrawal again
• has a history of serious suicide attempts
• has a family history of serious suicide attempts
• has a history of mental illness
• receives (or has received) medical treatment for any mental health difficulty where hallucinations or delusions were part of the problem, or
• has high risk suicide periods, such as
  • waiting for trial
  • sentencing
  • receiving bad news of any kind
  • being in darkness
  • relevant holidays or anniversaries
  • impending release from prison
  • intoxication withdrawal, or
  • the first 24 hours of confinement.

If suicidal behaviour is suspected

If concerned that an offender is showing signs of suicidal behaviour, follow the guidelines below:

• Trust any judgements made. Don't be convinced to ignore suicidal signals.
• Seek a referral to a specialist agency (eg. Forensic Psychiatrist, Psychologist).
• Stay with the suicidal offender, or arrange for someone to stay with them. Don't leave them alone if there appears to be an immediate danger.
• Maintain contact and conversation. Express any concerns about them.
• Listen carefully. Allow them to talk through their feelings.
• Be aware of differing cultural attitudes towards death and suicide. Seek cultural advice if unsure.

Notification procedure

Where concerns arise about a risk of suicide or self-harm during an interview with an offender in Police or prison custody, and irrespective of whether any other form of suicide alert is or has been in place, the Probation Officer is responsible for taking the following actions.

Further reading

The following references are about safety issues:

• Bongor, Bruce (ed). Suicide: Guidelines for Assessment, Management and Treatment (1992).
• Rowen, JR. Suicide Prevention in Custody (American Correctional Association, Laurel, USA, 1991).