OBJECTIVE: To describe the profile of suicides inmates at a Forensic Psychiatric Institute in Porto Alegre from two decades. METHOD: It was a retrospective study of the inmates records with a history of death by suicide. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. RESULTS: There was a total of 20 cases of suicide, 70% were involuntary commitment, 70% were primary defendants, 80% of crimes against persons, the majority (45%) of suicides were committed in the daybreak period and 40% of the cases occurred in inmates that were from 1 to 9 years in the institution. They also had the following characteristics: 90% were male, 55% were between 20 and 39 years old, 70% single, 60% childless man, 85% of the subjects were originally from small towns, 25% had no profession, 84.2% had primary schooling level. The diagnostic in 55% of the cases was schizophrenia. In 75% of cases the death occurred by hanging. CONCLUSION: The data point to the profile of a single and childless man, originally from small towns, with low professional qualification and schooling. Psychosocial factors were severe mental disorder and drug or alcohol use, low social and family support, previous suicide attempts, high impulsivity and aggression.
Suicide; Forensic Psychiatric Institute; criminal law; forensic psychiatry