SUICIDE RECOGNITION AND

INTERVENTION IN THE CORRECTIONAL

SETTING
By: Jamee K. Williams

SUICIDE RECOGNITION AND

INTERVENTION IN THE CORRECTIONAL
SETTING
PHASE I.

Training Title:

Intervention in

Suicide Recognition and

the Correctional Setting

Course Description:

Although this training is for all staff non-security

and security this lesson will target and aid
correctional officers and train cadets in
identifying the individual offender needs in
relation to suicide risk potential. There is more
to suicide prevention than simply observing
suicidal inmates and waiting for them to
attempt suicide. Hayes (2015), Suicides are
preventable and suicide rates are reduced when
correctional facilities provide a comprehensive
array of programming that identifies suicidal
inmates who are otherwise difficult to identify,
ensures their safety on suicide precautions, and
provides a continuity of care throughout
confinement Suicide Prevention in Correctional
Facilities: Reflections and Next Steps). Suicide
and self-injurious acts are a serious danger in
any correctional setting. Early identification,
appropriate housing and monitoring, and proper

treatment of potentially self-destructive

offenders is critically important, both for the
individuals in need of service and for the facility
charged with their care.
AUDIENCE ANALYSIS:

The target audience consists of correctional

officers and cadets in training that help to
provide security, monitor custody and control of
inmates. These officers are knowledgeable to
the physical and mental skills needed to
maintain discipline and orderly conduct.
The correctional officer interacts with the
offender on a daily basis and is usually
considered the offenders first point of contact,
having this advantage can make the biggest
impact on an offender's experience while in the
care and custody of the Department of
Corrections. Aside from breaking up fights
among the inmates, properly and appropriate
restraining of disorderly inmates, searching
cells for contraband, monitoring the movement
of inmates inside and between facilities, and
generally supervising and maintaining security
within the facility, correctional officers and
cadets are also expected to maintain the safety
of the inmate. This also includes being able to
recognize the suicidal offender, and intervening
when necessary.

DELIVERY METHOD
LENGTH OF INSTRUCTION:

OVERALL

This training course will be presented in a

lecture style presentation with the use of a
computer laptop illustrating a visual power
point slide show. The entire training will last 1.5
Hours.

GOALS OF THE TRAINING:

Goal 1. Early identification of selfdestructive behaviors among the offender

population to help decrease potential risk of
suicide
Goal 2. Proper treatment of potentially selfdestructive offenders to help reduce the risk of
suicidal behaviors

SUICIDE RECOGNITION AND

INTERVENTION IN THE CORRECTIONAL
SETTING
PHASE II.

TRAINING TITLE:

Intervention in

Suicide Recognition and

the Correctional Setting

OVERALL

GOALS OF THE TRAINING:

Early identification of self-destructive

behaviors among the offender population to
help decrease potential risk of suicide
Proper treatment of potentially self-destructive
offenders to help reduce the risk of suicidal
behaviors

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:

The following objectives are initiated as a

means to foster collaborative learning among
prison staff to help with critical thinking, and
the promotion of a team effort where
identifying the individual needs of the
offenders and assessing the suicidal inmate.
1. As a result of participating in the Suicide
Recognition and Intervention Training correctional
officers and cadets will be able to briefly explain
how incarceration impacts suicidal risk and list at
least three common indicators of possible suicidal
risk.
2. As a result of participating in the Suicide
Recognition and Intervention Training correctional
officers and cadets will be able to describe where
the highest incident of suicide occurs in prisons.
3. Given an hypothetical scenario the correctional
officers and cadets should be able to describe and
discuss a correctional officers responsibility upon
discovering an offender they believe to be
suicidal.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:

Trainers note: Sita (2013), Optional discussions are

included throughout the discussion section. Use
examples and concerns voiced by trainees to
emphasize points in the Power Point slide show.
Situations can be substituted for or added to the
discussion exercise. Presenter will use the experience
and expertise of the group to work through the
hypothetical scenarios to an appropriate and
practical approach. Participants may bring up
traumatic experience with suicide intervention. Allow
group discussion and feedback with the trainees
permission, but be sensitive to verbal and non-verbal
reluctance to discuss the situation publicly. If
necessary, set aside time to discuss the situation
with the individual after the training session. If you
have concerns, refer the trainee for further
counseling (Objectives).

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES:

This training lesson will be conducted with the use of

laptop computer for the purposes of presenting the
Power Pointe slide show.

SUICIDE RECOGNITION AND

INTERVENTION IN THE CORRECTIONAL
SETTING

PHASE III.

TRAINING TITLE:

Intervention in

Suicide Recognition and

the Correctional Setting

TRAINING TIMELINE:

This training course will be presented in a lecture

style presentation with the use of laptop computer
providing a visual power point slide show. The
entire training will last 1.5 Hours.
The Suicide Recognition and Intervention within
the Correctional Setting training session will be
offered for four days starting April 13, 2015 until
April 16, 2015. Training will begin promptly at
8:00am and conclude at 9:30am. The Department
of Corrections will provide two days of makeup
training for correctional officers and cadets who
are unable to attend the regularly scheduled
training event.
The entire annual training will be facilitated by
Mrs. Torry Price, who is the training coordinator for
the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women. The
Suicide Recognition and Intervention in the
Correctional Setting training lesson will be
presented by Ms. Jamee K. Williams, LMSW,
Forensic Social Worker 3.

The resources needed to implement the discussion

activities are computer laptop, and Power Point
Software. Discussion topics and scenarios will be
illustrated via Power Point. Learners will be
provided with paper and pens to write down
questions to be placed in grab bag.
During the training session, the presenter will
provide the learners with questions to encourage
discussion, clarification, and promote learner
comprehension. The presenter will use the
technique of storytelling using factual events that
officers may be familiar with in order to promote
critical thinking. Officers will also be asked to
write down one question they have regarding the
topic of suicide recognition and intervention,
questions will be placed in grab bag, and officers
will be selected at random to pull an anonymous
question from bad, and make an attempt to
answer the question. The presenter and facilitator
will serve as clarification support.

The formative Assessment Instrument that will be

utilized is the pre-test post-test method. Learners
will be issued a pre-test where they are to answer
questions on recognizing, and intervening with
potential suicidal offenders. According to TEAL
Centers (2012), Learners will responses will show
what they do or do not understand about the topic,
and will provide the design team with insights into
the reasoning processes that learners are using
Please see attachment of Suicide Recognition and
Intervention pre-test post-test (Fact Sheet:
Formative Assessment).

SUICIDE RECOGNITION AND

INTERVENTION IN THE CORRECTIONAL
SETTING

PHASE IV.

OUTCOME-ORIENTATED CRITERIA:

Increase in effective and

appropriate identification of
offenders who are at risk for
suicide.

Increase in compliance with

established prison suicide
prevention plan and policy

Improve the overall response time

to suicide recognition, intervention
and prevention

EVALUATION DESCRIPTION:

The evaluation form is a sample

form for collecting trainee feedback
at the end of the day. Use this
quick tool to obtain feedback from
each participant about their
training experience re: enjoyment,
confusion, value, applicable
knowledge and skills. This tool is
particularly useful for each day of
multiple-day training.

EVALUATION OVERVIEW:

The data collected from the

evaluation will enable instructional
designers, and the design team to
modify the training that is
conducive to the needs of the
learners. The design team will
continue to work with
administrators to review policy,
and preventive measures to ensure

that the facilities guidelines are

clear, concise and are simplified
when it comes to recognizing
reducing suicide attempts. This
may consist of adding more visual
content such as videos, role play,
humor, and storytelling.

SUICIDE RECOGNITION AND

INTERVENTION IN THE CORRECTIONAL
SETTING EVALUATION
According to I-TECH (2006),

1. What did you enjoy most about today?

2. What did you learn during today's sessions that you anticipate using in your work?

3. Was there anything you did not understand during today's sessions? Please provide
specific examples.

4. What is the most valuable thing you learned today (knowledge or skills)?

5. What other specific comments do you have?

(Training Evaluations Forms and Questionnaires).

REFERENCES

Hayes, L. M. (2015). ncia. Retrieved from http://www.ncianet.org/suicide-preventionin-correctional-facilities-reflections-and-next-steps/

I-TECH. (2006). Training Tool Kit. Retrieved from

http://www.go2itech.org/HTML/TT06/toolkit/evaluation/forms.html

Sita, D. (2013). naminc.org. Retrieved from

http://www.naminc.org/nn/blet/tncurriculummod5Suicide.pdf

TEAL Centers . (2012). TEAL Centers staf. Retrieved from

https://teal.ed.gov/tealguide/formativeassessment