Preventing Self-Injury and Suicide in Women's Prisons

Dr Tammi Walker is Principal Lecturer in Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University and a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. She has research interests in the areas of women, self-injury, suicide, trauma and resilience in staff, all of which she has published on. Graham Towl is widely published in areas of risk assessment, prisoner suicide and mental health. He is Professor of Forensic Psychology, Durham University and recipient of a number of psychology-related awards. The author of the Foreword Lord Toby Harris was Chair of the critically placed Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody and Chair of the NOMS review into self-inflicted deaths in its custody (The Harris Review) 2009-2015.

• Foreword. About the authors. The author of the Foreword. Acknowledgements. 1. Suicide and Self-injury of Imprisoned Women and Adolescent Girls. 2. Self-injury and Suicide: Research Informed Change. 3. Self-injury and Suicide Among Imprisoned Women and Adolescent Girls. 4. Supporting Women and Adolescent Girls with Poly-victimisation Histories in Custody. 5. Preventing Self-injury and Suicide. 6. Staff Training for Self-injury and Suicide. 7. The Aftermath of a Self-inflicted Death in Prison Custody. Appendix. References. Index.

'Walker and Towl's new book is a really welcome addition to the suicide and self-injury literature. It covers considerable ground in a concise and accessible way. Not only does it provide great coverage of the key issues around suicide and self-injury in women's prisons, it provides really helpful tips on supporting women, on staff training and on managing the aftermath of a suicide. I highly recommend this book'- Professor Rory O'Connor, University of Glasgow; 'Very helpful in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of current practice and understanding why reductions in the prison population and a holistic approach to care are vital in saving lives'- Dr Jo Borrill, University of Westminster; '[The authors] bring an often neglected subject into sharp relief and, refreshingly, they are not afraid to make some strong, evidence-based assertions about the direction of penal policy and gaps in our understanding'- Anita Dockley, Research Director, The Howard League for Penal Reform.