Yes but if someone were contemplating it and they are looking for someone to help them off the edge (which is the purpose of the hotline), all these things would probably have the opposite effect.

Going to jail is probably better if suicide was inevitable, but if it's inevitable, a person probably wouldn't be calling the hotline.

I think if the hotline was anonymous and untraceable and directly connected a person to a therapist who specialized in that sort of thing with no strings attached, it would be an invaluable tool. Unfortunately it is not that. It certainly could be.

> None of the outcomes listed are worse than the actual suicide.

This is 1000% missing the point. They've already decided that being dead is better than being alive with their current life situation. And you're saying they should voluntarily make their lives worse?

Can you imagine: You're at rock bottom, thinking about taking your life. Then someone comes along and says "Hey what if you don't and we lock you up and take your kids. Want to live now?"

Do you see how ridiculous that sounds?

That's exactly what the poster goes. Spreading FUD to dissuade people contact suicide hotline.

Not every contrarian take makes sense even if it blows your mind on the first reading.

Do you think people deserve to know that the police may be called on them if they call a hotline?

Do you think that people deserve to know that they can be involuntarily held if someone even thinks they're going to kill themselves?

I'd rather make this known and push for laws to be changed. Because I'm telling you that a massive number of people don't reach out to people because of these (real, valid) fears.

All of that is patently untrue in jurisdiction I live. Suicide hotlines are anonymous here.

Even if it's true in the United States, it may or may not be as severe as the OP suggested. Could depend on the state or county or whatever. The OP write with position of authority that he lacks on a subject that is literally life or death.