Suicidal behaviour in prisons: Learning from Australian and international experiences Peter Camilleri ⁎ , Morag McArthur 1 Australian Catholic University, Australia Abstract This article explores what progress researchers and policy makers have made towards understanding and responding to the problem of suicidal behaviour in custody over the last 15 years. It examines current program initiatives and strategies for minimising this behaviour. This has become an imperative issue for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) as they are in the process of developing their first prison (due to open mid 2008). The authors of this article were asked to prepare a report as part of the development of the prison. In developing a prison the ACT Government wanted to learn from the experiences of other jurisdictions including international ‘best practice’. Australian prison system agenda has been dominated since the 1990s by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody which made 339 recommendations. These recommendations have been important for developing programs for intervention and prevention of suicidal behaviour for all inmates. This article examines the experiences of Australian jurisdictions over the last 15 years since the Royal Commission report was published. For the ACT Government learning from both international and domestic experiences is essential in developing a new prison. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government is in the final planning stages of developing a new prison. This is an opportunity to develop an institution based on best practice. As part of planning process the government contracted Australian Catholic University to review the research and practice literature on the current state of knowledge about suicidal behaviour. This article is a summary of that work. The article reviews the literature with the legacy of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (1987–1991) in mind. While the Royal Commission focused on Indigenous deaths its 339 recommendations have had an ongoing impact on correctional policy generally. It also focussed attention on suicidal behaviour in prisons which resulted in all States and Territories in Australia developing a range of prevention and intervention programs. After nearly 15 years of intensive policy development, research and practice the article explores the question of whether we have developed ‘good practice’ principles that are well tested and consistent with the evidence. It identifies the complex Available online at www.sciencedirect.com International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 31 (2008) 297 – 307 ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +61 2 6209 1110; fax: +61 2 6209 1160. E-mail addresses: p.camilleri@signadou.acu.edu.au (P. Camilleri), m.mcarthur@signadou.acu.edu.au (M. McArthur). 1 Tel.: +61 2 6209 1225; fax: +61 2 6209 1216. 0160-2527/$ - see front matter © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2007.11.004