Justice - Judiciary plans more prevention against suicide in prison
The Berlin Senate Justice Administration wants to reduce the risk of suicide among prison inmates and create special detention rooms for this purpose. Senator for Justice Felor Badenberg (non-party) presented the plans for the construction of a so-called suicide prevention room at Moabit Prison on Thursday. According to the plans, work is set to begin in early 2024 and be completed by the third quarter at the latest. The estimated cost of the project is 438,000 euros, according to the Senate Justice Administration. The plan is to set up such rooms in all closed prisons in Berlin.
According to the justice administration, prisoners who are considered to be at risk of suicide have so far mostly been housed in specially secured cells with camera surveillance. However, these are very sparsely furnished with no dangerous objects. "Prisoners sometimes avoid disclosing suicidal thoughts as they fear being transferred to these rooms," says the justice administration. The new rooms should radiate a different atmosphere and at the same time pose as little danger as possible, for example through furniture with rounded corners or underfloor heating. However, these are also under camera surveillance, according to the statement.
According to the justice administration, there have been eight suicides in Berlin prisons so far this year. This is significantly more than in the entire previous year, in which there were three cases. According to the data, there were five in 2021. As is the case nationwide, the number of suicides in Berlin prisons fluctuates greatly from year to year.
According to the justice administration, there were five suicides in Berlin prisons ten years ago; in 2019 there were none. In contrast, nine prisoners took their own lives in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. However, the justice system does not believe that this can be attributed to the pandemic and the associated restrictions: The first four cases occurred before the corona-related measures began, it said at an earlier stage. An evaluation of the other cases also revealed no connection to coronavirus.
Around 3,500 people are being held in Berlin's seven prisons. According to the justice system, there are a number of measures in place to try and prevent suicides. For example, an examination is carried out at the beginning of a prison sentence to determine whether there are any signs of increased risk. If a prisoner exhibits certain risk factors, the medical or psychological service is called in.
Berlin is also in contact with the other federal states in order to take their experiences into account. The state is an active member of the federal working group "Suicide Prevention in Prisons".
Information on Berlin prisons
Read also:
- Will he be convicted as Jutta's murderer after 37 years?
- He also wanted to kill his cousin
- With live stream! Gawkers film dying man
- Is Saarland threatened with economic collapse?
- The penal system in Berlin, along with other federal states, is actively participating in the federal working group "Suicide Prevention in Prisons" to share experiences and strategies for preventing suicide in prisons.
- The coronavirus pandemic has not been linked to an increase in suicides in Berlin prisons, according to the justice system, with nine cases reported in 2020 compared to five in 2011 and none in 2019.
- The construction of suicide prevention rooms in Berlin's prisons is part of a larger strategy to provide specialized housing for inmates at risk of suicide, aiming to reduce the number of fatalities in Moabit Prison and other closed facilities.
- Felor Badenberg, Senator for Justice in Berlin, emphasized the need for more prevention measures against suicide in prisons and highlighted the planned construction of a suicide prevention room at Moabit Prison, with an estimated budget of 438,000 euros.
Source: www.stern.de
