If you end up in prison and want to die - how would you kill yourself?

[NormaJeane]

Suicide attempts and suicides in prison and custody are common. In Sweden, 10 000 people are arrested every year. They are looked in 23 hours a day without contact with the outside world for months or years. They are not allowed to watch TV, they may not read the newspaper, no phone, no Internet, no visits, no other contact than prison staff and lawyer. To be in custody or in prison, locked inside a small cell isolated for months or years can drive anyone crazy. The Council Of Europe Committee Against Torture has criticized Sweden for long detention periods. People in custody have tried to cut up their wrists with plastic cutlery, suffocate themselves to death with sheets or clothes and some of them have tried to bite themselves to death. But all these suicide attempts failed. There are not many suicide methods to choose from in custody and prison. But is it better to be in prison than to be homeless?

For me it feels like prison to live in a society that forces me to live on against my will. We who are not in prison have a hard time finding a reliable and peaceful suicide method, but prisoners have even less options. Hanging is the most common suicide method for people in prison and custody, the only method I have heard of.

When I lived in another town some years ago, I had a relationship with a man. And then one day I received a letter from him. He wrote that he was in prison because he had killed his mother and after that he tried to kill himself, but the suicide attempt failed. He ended up in custody and got a prison sentence for 16 years. Then in prison, he tried to kill himself two times, but the suicide attempts failed. He never wrote which method he used.

If you end up in prison and want to die - how would you kill yourself?

 

[deathisnear]

I would definitely try and hang or choke myself out somehow. I know people have successfully hung themselves in their cell, I would have to learn the patterns, but I feel that would be one of the only ways to do it in that situation.

 

[Sans]

I have no intentions of committing any crime, but if I were to find myself locked in prison, I'd probably just refuse to eat or drink until I passed from dehydration. I may not be so lucky though, since I'm pretty sure American prisons force feed you.

 

[FuneralCry]

It certainly is a prison like society - having the lack of an peaceful method to end our own lives. If I did end up in actual prison for whatever reason, I think I would go with hanging. I have heard stories of various people ctb that way in prison and it can be done with bedsheets.

 

[DetachedDreamer97]

I'd put my bearshaek to the test and perform the valsalva maneuver, ALL OUT MAX CAPACITY. I should induce a subarachnoid hemorrhage or heart attack, killing me if all goes according to cake.

 

[Grave]

I mean seeing I'm thinking of hanging anyway, I'd probably just go with that.

 

[BeansOfRequirement]

Carotid slashing if I had anything sharp, would most likely not want to risk a shitty partial.

 

[LakatosDiogenesz]

Prison is already full of criminals, couldn't I just pay someone to stab me?

 

[Symbiote]

Wait? I thought all Scandinavian countries had prisons that look like resorts and treated as such compared to American prisons? They could learn, read, play games, garden, and had privacy as to lower recidivism rates in their respective countries.

 

[Moose.000]

From what I've seen during my couple of trips the most popular but mostly undocumented method is the tourniquet with either the standard issue shower towel or the pant legs from the uniform/jumpsuit or 2 piece. It still gets reported as a hanging. 2nd would be sharpening your issued comb to gouge and cut or removing the blade from your morning shave. But that leaves a small window of opportunity because the razors have to be returned 45min after issue; at least in the counties and prisons I've experienced. Some prisoners, mostly gang members will boof fentanyl and other substances into the jail as well. It's no secret amongst gen pop who's holding so suicidal inmates will trade commissary for fent and od at lights out.

Edit: If anyone decides to carry out any of these methods in jail or prison you have about a 30 minute window to make yourself look comfortably tucked into bed and do it. If your body doesn't thrash around you will be found in the morning. If it does, or you look somewhat out of place or strange to the CO doing their cell check, they'll open up and check on you. Then you run the risk of being saved. This applies to American institutions. I have zero knowledge of any other.

 

[MG_39]

You are talking about custody before court, and a few isolated cases where people have been there for years. Your first photo might be from a custody cell in Sweden (not sure) but the second one is certainly not in Sweden, not a chance.
This is a prison with the highest security class in Sweden, and they have around 170 inmates.
Being in prison in Sweden compared to US is like a resort.

(Swedish speech)

 

[Moose.000]

I have no intentions of committing any crime, but if I were to find myself locked in prison, I'd probably just refuse to eat or drink until I passed from dehydration. I may not be so lucky though, since I'm pretty sure American prisons force feed you.

They do. Once the CO's file your protest you'll go to a mental health or high risk cell, which is basically a fiberglass bubble with zero privacy for 24 hour monitoring. If you eat they'll re-eval you 72 hours later and release you back to gen pop. If not they'll file a motion for hearing and a judge will order you force hydrated and fed. Then you'll go to the infirmary.

 

[Broken Buzz]

I was in prison for a brief period and put in multiple suicide proof cells, that meant no ligature points, no running water or electricity, 23 hour confinement, 24 hour monitoring with fifteen minute observations to check for signs of breathing and consciousness. Put a blanket over your head and your cell would be flooded with three orderlies within thirty seconds.

It sounds like an impossible environment to succeed in suicide but in my many hours alone I developed a number of candidate techniques.

Dehydration was the best option, extremely painful and unpleasant, but being in such an extreme environment I found in possession of willpower I never knew I could muster.

There were also opportunities to procure illicit substances that could be used to overdose, that proved to be less practical as a method and so I didn't attempt it.

I did once have the opportunity to hang myself by partial suspension, but that proved to be one of the most painful and unpleasant experiences of my life and I was interrupted shortly after losing consciousness.

 

[Moose.000]

I was in prison for a brief period and put in multiple suicide proof cells, that meant no ligature points, no running water or electricity, 23 hour confinement, 24 hour monitoring with fifteen minute observations to check for signs of breathing and consciousness. Put a blanket over your head and your cell would be flooded with three orderlies within thirty seconds.

It sounds like an impossible environment to succeed in suicide but in my many hours alone I developed a number of candidate techniques.

Dehydration was the best option, extremely painful and unpleasant, but being in such an extreme environment I found in possession of willpower I never knew I could muster.

There were also opportunities to procure illicit substances that could be used to overdose, that proved to be less practical as a method and so I didn't attempt it.

I did once have the opportunity to hang myself by partial suspension, but that proved to be one of the most painful and unpleasant experiences of my life and I was interrupted shortly after losing consciousness.

Brutal. I tried a few times in high risk with the velcro shoulder straps on my psych gown but like you said, you pull that blanket up and they're on you like white on rice with a glass of milk. 1 time I was fading, seeing dots and I lost all sense of hearing. I felt myself dozing but my legs and arms would flail and snap me out of it. Guessing that was my body's involuntary SI. I realized I was gonna get caught if I kept it up so I just gave up. I had the luxury of having a little styrofoam cup in my cell with some orange drink in it. I didn't want that taken from me.

 

[Broken Buzz]

I had the luxury of having a little styrofoam cup in my cell with some orange drink in it. I didn't want that taken from me.

It's amazing what simple pleasures we find comfort in when we're deprived of so much. I had nothing but a wafer-thin mattress and a suicide gown, not even my own clothes.

Occasionally, I'd be allowed to keep the little styrofoam cup and so I'd split it into pieces and use it as an abacus for timekeeping. I could keep accurate time to within about five-ten minutes by counting my heartbeats, and recording periods of five, ten, thirty and sixty minutes, with pieces of styrofoam on my window ledge.

 

[Canon1]

Wait? I thought all Scandinavian countries had prisons that look like resorts and treated as such compared to American prisons? They could learn, read, play games, garden, and had privacy as to lower recidivism rates in their respective countries.

Had exactly the same thought.

 

[WornOutLife]

Hanging or provoking another prisoner so that he stabs me with something! (really painful but I think prison is the worst thing that can happen to any human being, as long as they're good people who are there by mistake)

 

[Wrennie]

I'd go out the Epstein way, by ****suicide****

 

[Rayzieka]

If hanging wasn't available I guess you could refuse to eat and drink, but maybe then they would hook you up and sedate you to keep you around.
Sounds really difficult.. hmmm... maybe if you really had the will power you could bite your tongue off and choke to death on it and the blood in the middle of the night. Kinda out there but if prison is like a mental health ward they really don't give you an opportunity.

 

[the_final_countdown]

Wait? I thought all Scandinavian countries had prisons that look like resorts and treated as such compared to American prisons? They could learn, read, play games, garden, and had privacy as to lower recidivism rates in their respective countries.

That sounds way better than being a homeless person.

I wonder if they commit petty crimes in order to get locked up over there.

 

[LastFlowers]

Piss another inmate off...probably not the smartest idea but it's a scenario I would have to think more on.
Hanging is usually the option most find a way to put into action..but I would like to avoid hanging, whether I'm in jail or not.

 

[motel rooms]

That sounds way better than being a homeless person.

I wonder if they commit petty crimes in order to get locked up over there.

Scandinavians believe in this exotic concept that is so alien to so many Americans - basic human solidarity. They make sure that their vulnerable citizens don't end up homeless

 

[Wrennie]

If hanging wasn't available I guess you could refuse to eat and drink, but maybe then they would hook you up and sedate you to keep you around.
Sounds really difficult.. hmmm... maybe if you really had the will power you could bite your tongue off and choke to death on it and the blood in the middle of the night. Kinda out there but if prison is like a mental health ward they really don't give you an opportunity.

I'll never understand how some people literally have the willpower to bite off their own tongues. That sounds absolutely excruciating.

And it doesn't always kill you. I met a man in the psych ward who blew off part of his tongue with a gun when attempting suicide and he could barely talk.

 

[NormaJeane]

Hanging or provoking another prisoner so that he stabs me with something! (really painful but I think prison is the worst thing that can happen to any human being, as long as they're good people who are there by mistake)

Provoking another prisoner so that he stabs you to death, that is a good idea! I have read a book about prison and prisoners; every morning the cells are open a few minutes without prison staff nearby and during these minutes all prisoners can go to another prisoner´s cell and kill him. I agree, prison is probably the worst thing that can happen to any human being. But hanging in prison - what would you use to hang yourself with (sheets, clothes) and what would you use in the roof (hook, lamp)?

There is a big difference between custody and prison in Sweden. Only in custody the person is isolated 23 hours a day, without contact with the outside world. The person will remain in custody until the trial. In prison, the prisoner is not isolated in the same way - visitors are allowed, they can read university courses and they can write letters to people.

 

[Forgetting5]

Probably try to find some way to hang myself

 

[motel rooms]

I'm too cunning a criminal, they'll never catch me & lock me up

 

[Diesel_Punk]

Tell other prisoners you're in for molesting kids, they will probably beat the shit out of you at first and make your life a living he'll but don't be discouraged, just bring it up as often as possible until someone finally kills you.

If all else fails I would probably use the bars outside the window to hang myself using a bedsheets, shoelaces or whatever else I could get my hands on...