Study Finds 1 In 5 Adult Suicide Deaths Followed A Jail Stay In Previous Year

One in five adults in the U.S. who died by suicide (19.9%) in 2019 spent at least one night in jail in the year prior to their death. Another 7.3% of those who died by suicide spent at least one night in jail during the two years prior to their death.

The 7.1 million Americans released from jail during 2019 represented 2.8% of the U.S., adult population at the time. The risk of suicide among adults with a jail stay is nine times the risk of other American adults.

The researchers sought to estimate . . .