Sheriff Chris Swanson and Dr. Jennifer Johnson Discuss Suicide Prevention on ‘The Working Class’ Podcast

A brief intervention offered to people detained in jail significantly cut the risk of suicidal behavior after their release, researchers at Michigan State University and Brown University report.

The study, conducted at the Genesee County Jail in Flint and a Rhode Island correctional facility, found that a single Safety Planning Intervention combined with follow-up support calls reduced suicide attempts by more than half compared with standard care in the year after release.

The federally funded trial, part of the Suicide Prevention for at-Risk Individuals in Transition (SPIRIT) project, tracked roughly 800 people and identified the first evidence-based suicide prevention approach for this high-risk group.

Dr. Jennifer Johnson, the Charles Stewart Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health at MSU and founding chair of the MSU College of Human Medicine’s Department of Public Health, called the findings “a profound impact” for people leaving jail at a time when they are especially vulnerable.

Johnson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson recently discussed the research and their collaborative partnership on The Working Class Podcast. The conversation highlights how public health and local law enforcement can work together to strengthen community health and safety.