Dispositifs de prévention et de postvention du suicide en prison mis en place par l’Administration Pénitentiaire française

Abstract

The French Prison Administration has been doing suicide prevention in prison for over 50 years. It is undoubtedly one of the administrations, which best takes these risks into account today. She even made it one of her priorities. On the one hand, by developing an initial and continuous training system on this subject, and on the other hand, by implementing preventive measures based on the assessment of the suicidal potential of anyone arriving in prison. It has thus set up prevention and postvention devices in the face of its own suicide risk. While all of these measures give encouraging signs in terms of results, the fact remains that a certain number of deaths by suicide in prison still occur each year. It is therefore necessary for the prison administration to also take postvention measures in order to minimize the psychological impact on prisoners and on personnel directly concerned by the discovery of a suicide prisoner. The prison staff has an obligation of means with regard to the medical care of detained persons. Several legal texts, European and French, legislate this obligation and lay down the broad outlines. The prevention of suicidal risks in the prison environment is based on the assessment of the suicidal potential of detained persons, upon their arrival in detention. Each inmate is assessed for the risk, urgency and suicidal dangerousness he presents during this incoming interview. Depending on the results, measures specific to the prison administration can be taken to limit, or even prevent, any risk of suicide. All personnel in initial training at the national school of prison administration (ENAP) are made aware of this evaluation method. There after, additional training, throughout their career, is offered to them in continuous training so that they develop their skills in this area. But when a suicide, or an attempt, occurs in detention, postvention measures are put in place for all those affected by this event, in particular prison staff, fellow prisoners and families. The prison administration has been working on suicide prevention in detention for over fifty years, making it one of the French administrations most involved in suicide prevention.