The Social Structure of Death Row as a Total Institution and Elements of Fatalistic Suicide

Suicide on Death Row reveals unique and complex dynamics. While the primary objective of Death Row is to execute the inmate, the institution employs all necessary measures to prevent self-execution. Additionally, inmates may commit a disguised suicide by waiving appeals, misleading the institution into believing it has successfully carried out its goal, when in reality, the inmate has achieved their own. Current literature on Death Row is insufficient to fully explain these phenomena, as it is primarily rooted in psychological, criminal, and legal studies, fostering misconceptions about the infamous Death Row experience. This paper adopts a sociological approach by integrating a broad body of literature on Death Row with Durkheimian and Goffmanian sociology, not only to elucidate Death Row's social structure but also to attribute a justified meaning to suicide within this context. Such an account more effectively reveals the inhumane conditions endured by Death Row inmates and assigns social meaning and voice to their (suicidal) actions. The conceptual framework provided herein aids in the development of policy recommendations for mitigating suicide on Death Row and beyond, while also enhancing our understanding of the trauma experienced by inmates and exonerees, thereby facilitating a (re)assessment of the Death Row experience.