The most pressing problem facing the prison system might be considered suicide. According to the World Health Organization (2000), suicide is often the most common cause of death in penitentiary settings. Both jails and prisons are responsible for protecting the health and safety of their inmates. Failure to do so may be subject to legal challenge. On this basis, the World Health Organization (2000) also states that, due to media interest, a suicide in a penitentiary can easily degenerate into a political scandal. Therefore the provision of adequate suicide prevention and intervention services is beneficial both to prisoners in custody and to the institution in which the services are offered (World Health Organization 2000, p5). Prison environments differ with respect to the inmate population and local conditions. according to the World Health Organization (2007, p7) short-term prisoners, pre-trial offenders, convicted prisoners, harsh sentencing practices, overcrowding, time spent in prison, sanitation, stress levels and access to services basic healthcare or mental health. Each of these factors can influence suicide rates in different ways. However, it is still possible to reduce suicides in prison settings by adhering to some basic principles and procedures (World Health Organization 2007, p8). Suicide in the community is a serious health problem. The World Health Organization estimates that a suicide attempt occurs approximately every three seconds and that a completed suicide occurs approximately every minute. This means that more people die from suicide than from armed conflict. As a result, reducing suicide has become an important international health goal. . (2001) Suicides in Prison: Ten Years On: Institute of Criminology CambridgeLloyd, C (1990) Suicide and Self-Injury in prison: A Literature Review: Crown Copyright LondonShneidman (1973:159) cited by Defamation Suicides in Prison ten years on. References not availableTowl, G. Snow, L. & McHugh, M. (2002) Suicide in Prisons: Blackwell Publishers Ltd A Blackwell Publishing Company, Oxford United KingdomTowl, G & Crighton, D. (2010) Forensic Psychology: Blackwell PublishingWorld Health Organizations ( 2000) Preventing Suicide A Resource for Prison Officers: GenevaWorld Health Organization (2007) Preventing Suicide in Jails and Prisons: WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. Geneva, Switzerland