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The Conversation USA

The Conversation USA

Who is responsible when an inmate commits suicide?

  • Written by Austin Sarat, Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College
In jail, suicides occur for 50 deaths per 100,000 inmates. Dan Henson/Shutterstock.com

Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged suicide in New York’s Metropolitan Correction Center on Aug. 10 has brought new attention to the troubling reality of inmates who kill themselves in America’s jails and prisons.

Suicide is, of course, a serious problem...

Read more: Who is responsible when an inmate commits suicide?

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