Ombudsperson Gaby Schwarz: Suicide figures in prisons are dramatic!

"Since the beginning of the year, there have already been 40 attempted and actual suicide cases in Austria's prisons. In comparison: in 2022, there were 47 cases in the entire year. The suicide rate in prisons is dramatic. Just yesterday, a prisoner committed suicide," regrets Ombudsperson Gaby Schwarz. "The precarious prison conditions are often the decisive factor. When asked afterwards, many inmates who have harmed themselves say that it would have helped them if they had had someone to talk to. High occupancy rates and too few staff are part of everyday life in the prison system. The result is poor care conditions, more difficult resocialisation and rising suicide rates. Something must be done quickly to improve conditions for inmates and staff. Human lives are at stake here," warns the Ombudsperson on the occasion of today's World Suicide Prevention Day.

"I have been calling for an improvement in suicide prevention for prisoners for years. This includes a second assessment of the suicide risk after the first eight to twelve weeks in prison," says Gaby Schwarz, referring to 48 recommendations made by a group of experts commissioned by the Ministry of Justice in 2023, in which the Ombudsman Board participated. "There are enough suggestions for improvement on the table. Nothing has happened so far. On the contrary. Attempted and actual suicide cases have increased almost fivefold since 2019. While there were a total of 13 cases in 2019, there were 60 cases in the previous year. These figures should alarm us all," says Ombudsperson Gaby Schwarz.