BOP Program Statement 5332.01 § 4

While the initial period of incarceration is often a critical time for inmates, serious suicidal crises

may arise at any time. Line staff are often the first to identify signs of potential suicidal behavior

based on their frequent interactions with inmates. The Chief Psychologist is responsible for

ensuring appropriate training is available to institution staff. The Chief Psychologist in

conjunction with Executive Staff, department heads, and supervisors ensure all staff are trained,

ordinarily by Psychology Services staff, to recognize signs indicative of potential suicide, the

appropriate referral process, and suicide prevention techniques.

a. Training for All Staff. Suicide prevention training must be included in the Introduction to

Correctional Techniques (ICT I and II) and AT curriculum at all sites. Training for staff will

focus on:

■ Suicide watch logbook documentation procedures.

■ Maintaining basic conditions of suicide watch.

■ Communicating with the inmate on suicide watch.

■ Risk factors and warning signs for suicide.

■ Recognition of potentially suicidal behavior.

■ Common characteristics of inmates who have died by suicide.

■ High-risk groups, locations, and circumstances.

■ Lessons learned from Psychological Reconstructions.

■ Identifying and referring suicidal inmates.

■ Responding to a suicide emergency (e.g., suicide attempt in progress), including the

location and proper use of a cut-down tool, initiation of life-saving measures, and use of

an automatic external defibrillator (AED).

■ Name of the SPPC, location of suicide watch rooms, etc.

b. Supplemental Specialty Training. The Chief Psychologist ensures in-person supplemental

training is offered to staff who have frequent contact with inmates. Supplemental specialty

training is required to be conducted with Health Services providers (e.g., Medical Officers,

Advanced Practice Providers [APPs], Paramedics, Registered Nurses, Dental Hygienists),

Lieutenants, Chaplains, and Correctional Counselors approximately six months after the

completion of AT. This training ordinarily occurs in person to facilitate discussion. If a

department has a staff member who is not available for training due to long term absence, the

department head must submit a memorandum to the SPPC indicating why this individual is not

available to participate in required training.

c. Supplemental Training for Special Housing Unit (SHU) Staff. The Chief Psychologist

ensures in-person training is conducted with Correctional Services staff assigned to work in the

SHU in accordance with Program Statement Special Housing Units. The only approved

alternative to in-person training is for staff who are unexpectedly assigned to the SHU; they may

5332.01 3/19/2026 Federal Regulations from 28 CFR: this type. Implementing instructions: this type. 6

complete training on the Bureau’s electronic training platform (e.g., Bureau Learning University

[BLU]). Training will focus on risks associated with the SHU environment, reviewing risk

factors and warning signs for suicide, identifying local inmates at risk for suicide and SDV, the

risks associated with single cell housing, and determining strategies to reduce risk. Training

information is provided to the Employee Development Manager in a timely manner (e.g., not to

exceed three working days) for inclusion in the staff electronic training records. In addition,

information about recognizing potentially suicidal inmates and procedures to follow will be

included in all SHU post orders. Psychology Services staff can access a sample suicide

prevention information SHU addendum to post orders on the PSB page of the Bureau’s intranet

site.

d. Emergency Response Training. At a minimum, the Captain (or supervisory designee), HSA

(or designee), and Chief Psychologist (or licensed designee) will jointly conduct at least three

mock suicide emergencies yearly, one on each shift, approximately four months apart.

Complexes will complete the exercises separately at each institution within the complex. These

exercises are interactive, live-action role plays that require staff to physically simulate and

problem-solve the actions of responding to a suicide attempt in progress (e.g., calling for

assistance, responding to the scene, taking appropriate safety precautions, using the cut-down

tool, initiating life saving measures, applying the AED).

Within the calendar year, two of these exercises will be conducted in the SHU and one in another

inmate area (e.g., general housing unit, work detail site, Receiving and Discharge [R&D], Health

Services, Food Services). One of the SHU exercises must be conducted on Evening Watch or

Morning Watch.

Institutions that do not have a SHU (e.g., Federal Prison Camps) are exempt from this aspect of

the requirement but are still required to conduct three mock suicide emergencies yearly, one on

each shift (i.e., Morning Watch, Day Watch, and Evening Watch).

Documentation of training will be completed by memorandum from Psychology Services to the

appropriate Associate Warden. Psychology Services staff can refer to the PSB page of the

Bureau’s intranet site to access a sample memorandum for documenting mock suicide

emergency training. All training documentation is maintained by Psychology Services, with

copies to Correctional Services, Health Services, and Employee Development. The Chief

Psychologist is responsible for reporting the completion of each mock drill to the Regional

Psychology Services Administrator. The Regional Psychology Services Administrator will

provide the dates of mock drills completed at each institution in their region to the PSB Chief of

Mental Health at the completion of each calendar year.

One mock suicide scenario may be done as a component of an institution major mock exercise.

If this option is selected, the Chief Psychologist collaborates with the Captain to ensure a mock

suicide emergency is incorporated into the overall major mock scenario in a manner that affords

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meaningful participation and training for staff from a variety of disciplines, including

Psychology Services, Health Services, Correctional Services, and first responders from other

departments.

This training is in addition to the supplemental specialty training for Health Services providers,

Lieutenants, Correctional Counselors, and Chaplains. It will include a component to ensure cut-down tools, AEDs, and gurneys/stretchers/backboards are readily available to the location, and

these items arrive on scene in an efficient and timely manner.

The following staff at all security levels are required to obtain a cut-down tool from a secure

storage location (normally the Control Center) upon reporting for duty and carry it throughout

their shift: Unit Management, staff who have an assigned office in a housing unit (e.g.,

Residential Drug Abuse Program [RDAP] staff), staff assigned to a custody post on a housing

unit, all staff assigned to a SHU, Compound Officers, and Lieutenants.

Cut-down tools are to be carried by the assigned staff member in a way that secures it to the staff

duty belt or vest (i.e., in an approved holster).