I wanted to write today about a very important subject, encouraged by recent events in here. Parasuicide is a term I use to describe behaviours and actions which, though falling short of death, are physically and emotionally injurious. The two main harmful activities would be self harm and attempted suicide.

I appreciate the gravity of this topic but I also know the importance of addressing it. For many reasons, I will not be referring to any specific incidents or people. I will also try, as always in these articles, to be clear when I’m writing from my own empirical knowledge and when it is anectdotal.

I believe self harm to be far more widespread than the data indicates. I don’t actually know where the prison authorities get their data from – certainly I’ve never been formally asked, for data collection purposes, if I self harm. In fact, I did used to cut myself and the results were really quite visible. However, not once did any member of staff enquire about it. Not once did a guard ask if I was okay.

I have seen a few inmates with similar marks on their arms and I have been told by some that they do harm themselves. Although t is worth taking a large pinch of salt with jail stories, a reliable source tells me that “often” there are not enough safer cells (suicide risk observation cells) to cope with the number of prisoners who attempt suicide. Apparently (according to this reliable source), it isn’t an infrequent occurrence that suicidal prisoners are placed in the segregation unit (bad boys block).

At least once a month, I become aware of an apparently serious attempt at suicide and I am only one person in only one prison and I do try to keep my head down and avoid getting involved in anything. I therefore conclude that the problem is really quite large.

However, I believe that the wider impact of parasuicide is significant, too. It might seem strange but this community of prisoners is bizarrely close. In many ways prisoners don’t care about anyone but in some ways, they really do. I have seen some really caring gestures in here and whenever we hear of anyone attempting suicide or injuring themselves, it affects us all.

There is also a real anger felt at the apathy of some guards in relation to parasuicide. I myself heard a group of prison officers discussing the “best” suicide they had encountered and in amongst all of the shocking behaviour of staff I have witnessed, hearing staff speak with unabashed delight about the death by suicide of prisoners must be the most shameful.

I believe people living in secure environments are particularly vulnerable to suicide and parasuicide. I also believe that mental health services are particularly poor in here. In addition, the day to day living is indescribably tough. Those three factors are a very toxic recipe.

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