CG 05 Inmate Classification (Policy.Corrections.CG 05 Inmate Classification.WebHome)

1. Step-Down: A type of Administrative Segregation. A temporary down-grade of an inmate's classification level, in conjunction with close administrative review.

74

75

76

77

**CG 05_102 __GENERAL__**

78

79

1. Policy:

80

11. PCF shall maintain written policy and procedures which provide the requirements for and elements of an inmate classification plan to:

81

111. Be used in determining housing assignments, access to programs and activities, and general management of inmates; and

82

111. Provide for the separation of inmates by sex and by such other factors as may reasonably provide for the safety and well-being of inmates and the community.

83

11. The classification plan shall take into consideration the design of the jail and shall identify the classification levels which can be housed in various cells and cell blocks. Classification procedures should be developed to offset the facility's design disadvantages or flaws.

84

11. At a minimum, the classification system shall provide a means of:

85

111. Evaluating inmates':

86

1111. Propensity for violence;

87

1111. Vulnerability to violence;

88

1111. Escape risk;

89

1111. Propensity for being disruptive or a management problem;

90

1111. Need for specific programs and services;

91

1111. Possible gang affiliation;

92

1111. Potential for infecting other inmates with a communicable disease; and

93

1111. Other needs to be segregated from others;

94

111. Determining:

95

1111. Appropriate levels of custody and housing assignments; and

96

1111. Eligibility for programs and services.

97

11. Components which shall be included in the classification plan include:

98

111. Pre-classification;

99

111. Classification;

100

111. Re-assessment (a.k.a., Classification Review);

101

111. Security threat groups;

102

111. Other inmates requiring special management;

103

111. Non-punitive isolation; and

104

111. Transfers of Utah State prisoners.

105

11. Applicable content and procedures regarding classification shall be communicated to inmates in a language or manner which the inmates can understand. Classification shall utilize translation services when necessary. The Inmate Orientation Packet shall include an explanation of the classification levels, with the conditions and restrictions applicable to each and the procedures by which a detainee may appeal his/her classification.

106

1. Rationale:

107

11. Written policies and procedures are necessary to ensure that staff members understand the purpose, function, and elements of the inmate classification system.

108

11. Adoption and implementation of written policy for the classification of persons incarcerated in jail is also required by statute.

109

11. Classification is an important tool in managing inmates, providing a safe facility, and preventing inmates from escaping. Without some form of classification process, jail administrators face a very difficult challenge in meeting these important functions.

110

111

**CG 05_103 __SUPERVISION & TRAINING__**

112

113

1. Policy:

114

11. PCF shall designate an officer to supervise the classification system.

115

11. The classification supervisor should:

116

111. Be responsible for reviewing classification, re-classification, and special housing assignments;

117

111. Have the authority to overrule classification actions; and

118

111. Handle inmate classification challenges and grievances.

119

11. The classification supervisor may utilize the assistance of other staff members, as approved by the Corrections Chief Deputy.

120

11. The classification supervisor may have other duties and responsibilities.

121

11. Classification training should be provided for those officers who are involved in the classification process. Advanced classification training should be provided to the classification supervisor.

122

11. All classification officers shall be certified Corrections Officers.

123

11. All classification officers shall receive annual training and shall receive specific instruction on the PCF classification system.

124

1. Rationale:

125

11. Designating an officer to administer the classification system is necessary to ensure that the classification process operates in a consistent and uniform manner and makes it more difficult for inmates to manipulate the system.

126

11. Classification is the backbone of inmate management and a necessary component in maintaining safety and security in the facility. To understand the function and important elements of the classification system, training is needed concerning procedural requirements. The responsibility of supervising the classification process requires more advanced training including procedural, legal, documentation, and operational topics.

127

128

**CG 05_104 __NON-PUNITIVE__**

129

130

1. Policy:

131

11. The inmate classification system shall be operated as a non-punitive management system, separate and distinct from inmate discipline. However, disciplinary violations may be included among the criteria used in classifying and reclassifying inmates.

132

1. Rationale:

133

11. If the classification process is operated as a non-punitive system, separate and distinct from the punitive inmate discipline system, classification decisions do not trigger due process requirements for inmates.

134

135

**CG 05_105 __PRE-CLASSIFICATION__**

136

137

1. Policy:

138

11. Pre-classification procedures shall be managed according to policy: [[CF 02 Admission and Booking>>doc:Policy.Corrections.CF 02 Admission Booking and Bail.WebHome]].

139

140

**CG 05_106 __CLASSIFICATION__**

141

142

1. Policy:

143

11. Unclassified inmates should be classified expeditiously upon admission (within seven days) and prior to general housing (i.e., housed in an intake cell or block).

144

11. Any inmate who cannot be classified because of missing information at the time of processing (e.g., the results of a criminal record check) may be kept separated from the general population. Once the needed information is obtained, classification shall be expedited.

145

11. PCF shall adopt specific criteria to be used in classifying inmates. That criteria should include, but not be limited to:

111. Gender;

111. Age;

111. Offense;

111. Criminal history;

150

111. Time until release;

151

111. Observed, seriously irregular behavior; and

152

111. If known or obvious to jail officials:

153

1111. Communicable disease;

154

1111. Seriously mentally or emotionally disordered;

155

1111. Escape history;

156

1111. Violence history;

157

1111. Drug abuse history;

158

1111. Association with security threat group;

159

1111. Disciplinary history; and

160

1111. Disruptive behavior history.

161

11. Race shall not be used as a criteria to segregate inmates.

162

11. Inmates shall be segregated by gender. Male and female inmates shall be housed in a manner which:

163

111. Does not permit inmates to routinely view the living areas (cells and day rooms) of inmates of the opposite gender; and

164

111. Prevents routine verbal conversation between male and female inmates.

165

11. Inmates known by jail officials to be a serious risk to commit violent acts against others should be segregated, or other reasonable measures should be taken to mitigate the risk.

166

11. Inmates who present a serious risk of infecting other inmates with a communicable disease should be segregated, if deemed necessary by medical authority.

167

1. Rationale:

168

11. The classification factors listed above may, individually or in combination, have some value as predictors of an inmate's behavior while incarcerated.

169

11. Some factors have greater value than others.

170

11. Using race as a criteria to segregate inmates has been found to violate the United States Constitution. However, corrections officials do have the right, acting in good faith and in particularized circumstances, to take into account racial tensions in maintaining security, discipline, and good order.

171

11. Separation of male and female inmates is required by state law. It is not intended that male and female inmates shall be absolutely separated by sight and sound. Separation is required only to the extent necessary to protect inmates and to further the legitimate safety, security, order, and discipline interests of the jail.

172

11. Inmates are entitled to precautions which provide reasonable protection from other inmates who present a known, serious, and immediate risk to their lives or safety. Jail officials cannot absolutely guarantee the safety of jailed inmates, but must take reasonable steps to protect inmates' safety. Jail officials must not be deliberately indifferent to the safety of inmates.

173

11. Jail officials have a difficult and sometimes impossible task because they cannot act upon information which they do not have, nor can they assume that every inmate who has ever committed a violent act is a serious or immediate risk to others (the majority of inmates have some violence in their criminal history or other past).

174

11. Jails are closed environments where inmates and staff coexist in close proximity. Preventing the spread of communicable diseases may require segregation of inmates when the type of disease is sufficiently serious and contagious.

175

176

**CG 05_107 __CLASSIFICATION CODE__**

177

178

1. Policy:

179

11. Inmates will be classified with an alphanumeric classification code (e.g. 1A, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5A).

180

11. Classification levels include levels one through five, with one being the highest security risk.

181

1. Rationale:

182

11. A classification system allows jail staff to address multiple issues with one classification code per inmate (e.g., housing assignments, programming privileges, permitted property, etc.).

183

184

**CG 05_108 __CLASSIFICATION REVIEW__**

185

186

1. Policy:

187

11. Classification reviews should be conducted, at a minimum, according to the following schedule:

188

111. Administrative Segregation (including Step-Down, security threat groups, non-punitive isolation, and other special management inmates): at least once per week;

189

111. When new criminal charges are filed;

190

111. Lock Down:

191

1111. After lock down time is completed for violent offenses, the inmate should remain on step down status with a Level-1 classification for an additional 30 days and noted on the Special Housing List (i.e., "SDLV-1”). After 30 days as SDLV-1, the inmate's status should be changed to SDLV-2 for another 30 days. After 30 days as SDLV-2, the inmate should receive a classification review and be housed accordingly;

192

111. Level-1, and Level-2: at least once every 180 days;

193

111. Level-3 and higher: at least once every year.

194

11. An inmate should not receive a classification review after non-criminal disciplinary action.

195

11. Additional reviews may be conducted as needed.

196

1. Rationale:

197

11. Predicting inmate behavior is a difficult and imprecise science. Often, officers must base classification decisions on limited information. Regular classification reviews will help ensure accurate classification determinations.

198

11. In prisons, officials can take days or weeks to classify a prisoner, and have pre-sentence investigations and other information to rely on. The nature of inmate classification in jails requires decisions to be made swiftly, frequently with limited available information. Thus, while prisons can function comfortably with annual classification re-assessments, jails should review more frequently.

199

200

**CG 05_109 __HOUSING__**

201

202

1. Policy:

203

11. Level 1 and 1A inmates may not be housed with any other level of inmate unless approved by the Special Housing Committee or the Chief Deputy.

204

11. Excluding Level 1 and 1A inmates, inmates may be housed with inmates one level above or one level below their assigned level.

205

11. Inmates housed in a cell shall be allowed time out of their cell according to the current Time Out Of Cell schedule. Inmates housed in a cell shall be informed of their scheduled out of cell times. A log entry should be created in the jail computer system under the individual inmate's name to record each time out of cell event.

206

1. Rationale:

207

11. A classification system serves little purpose if it is not used as a housing tool in order to help protect inmates and provide order.

208

209

**CG 05_110 __CLASSIFICATION CHALLENGES__**

210

211

1. Policy:

212

11. Inmates may be allowed to request reconsideration of their classification assignment by submitting a Classification Challenge via a request form.

213

11. Inmates may be permitted one classification challenge per classification determination.

214

11. A classification challenge will not guarantee a change in the classification assignment; however, it will guarantee that a classification review will be conducted.

215

1. Rationale:

216

11. Due process is not constitutionally mandated for classification or re-classification determinations, unless a right is created by state action. Utah statute does not create a liberty interest which would require due process or a right of appeal for inmates. However, providing an opportunity for inmates to request reconsideration of their classification can be of benefit to both the inmate and jail officials. Inmates benefit by receiving an opportunity to request a review of a classification determination. If there is a flaw in the classification, jail officials benefit because the flaw can be discovered and corrected before it creates problems for the jail.

217

218

**CG 05_111 __INMATE UNIFORMS__**

219

220

1. Policy:

221

11. Each inmate shall be issued color-coded uniforms according to their classification level or housing unit as follows:

222

111. Level-1A: solid red;

223

111. Level-1 and/or Lockdown: red stripes;

224

111. Level-2: black stripes;

225

111. Level-3, Level-4, Level-5 (interior) and Level-5A (interior): blue stripes;

226

111. Level-5 (exterior) and Level-5A (exterior): green stripes;

227

111. Unclassified: orange stripes;

228

111. Interior worker (while at work): solid white;

229

111. Exterior worker (while at work): solid “lime” green.

230

1. Rationale:

231

11. Staff may easily identify an inmate's classification according to the inmate's current uniform. An inmate's classification informs staff of the potential threat level of the specific inmate. By assisting staff with the identification of potential threats, staff may be better prepared to manage the inmate or possible situations involving the inmate.

232

233

**CG 05_112 __UTAH STATE PRISONERS__**

234

235

1. Policy:

236

11. Unless a PCF administrative override is conducted, Utah State prisoners shall retain their classification level assigned from the prison.

237

11. PCF should only accept custody of Utah State prisoners who have been classified as a Level-3 or higher.

238

11. If a Utah State prisoner's classification falls below Level-3 while housed at PCF, the prisoner shall be promptly transferred from PCF.

239

1. Rationale:

240

11. Utah State prisoners who are classified below a Level-3 are deemed too dangerous or too high of a risk to be housed at PCF.

241

242

**CG 05_113 __DOCUMENTATION__**

243

244

1. Policy:

245

11. Classification determinations shall be documented in the jail computer system.

246

11. Classification files and/or forms used to reach a classification determination shall be retained and archived for a minimum of three years.

247

1. Rationale:

248

11. Proper documentation memorializes actions taken and decisions made.

249

11. Inmate classification actions and decisions should be documented to preserve a record:

250

111. As an aid to defending possible future litigation;

251

111. To provide information which jail officials can use in order to stay informed;

252

111. For use in future classification actions involving the inmate; and

253

111. To provide data which can be quantified for use by jail officials.

Wiki source code of CG 05 Inmate Classification