CF 01 Pre-Admission

Version 2.2 by Ryan Larkin on 2019/05/07 19:45

Washington County Sheriff's Office

CORRECTIONS DIVISION

Policy Manual

Volume: CF

Admissions and Releases

Chapter: 01

Pre-Admission and Acceptance of Custody

Replaces and/or Supersedes:

PF 01 02/01/2008, PF 22, OD 09-011, Review 02/16/2012

Published:

02/16/2011

Date Reviewed:

12/08/2015

Sheriff

Chief Deputy

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CF 01_101 Definitions

CF 01_102 References

CF 01_103 General

CF 01_104 Entrance

CF 01_105 Vehicles

CF 01_106 Pre-Booking

CF 01_107 Intox Room

CF 01_108 Acceptance of Custody

CF 01_109 Out Of County Warrants

CF 01_110 Medical Screening

CF 01_111 Offense and Probable Cause Review

CF 01_112 Property

CF 01_101 DEFINITIONS

WCSO: Washington County Sheriff's Office
PCF: Purgatory Correctional Facility
Detainee: A person kept under involuntary restraint who is not currently under arrest.
Arrestee: A prisoner's status from the time of arrest until the time of correctional facility housing assignment.
Prisoner: A person deprived of liberty and kept under involuntary restraint, confinement, or custody; especially: one under arrest, awaiting trial, on trial, or serving a sentence.
Inmate: A prisoner's status after being moved to a correctional facility housing assignment (including ICE detainees).

CF 01_102 REFERENCES

Utah Sheriffs' Association Jail Standards:

C01.01.01: Policies and Procedures Required Governing the Pre-Admission Process

C01.01.02: Notice of Pre-Admission Procedures to Allied Agencies

C01.02.01: Restraints of Inmates

C01.02.02: Securing Firearms Before Entry

C01.03.01: Authority to Admit Prisoner

C01.03.03: Receiving Juvenile Inmates

C01.03.04: Inmates Requiring Immediate Medical Attention

C02.02.02: Information from Transporting Officer

C02.02.03: Warrant Less Arrests

CF 01_103 GENERAL

Policy:
1. PCF shall establish and enforce requirements and limitations regarding pre-admission procedures.
2. Law enforcement agencies which routinely use the jail for housing their prisoners should be provided copies of directives or other information which set forth:
  1. Pre-admission procedures;
  2. Requirements which must be met for the jail to admit prisoners received at the jail for booking; and
  3. The circumstances which may prohibit booking officers from accepting prisoners in jail.
3. Notifications to other agencies should be done in a manner as deemed appropriate by the Corrections Chief Deputy (e.g., signage or official letter of notification)
4. Officers shall remove and secure the following items in a provided PCF gun locker or within the transporting officer's locked vehicle:
  1. Firearms;
  2. Knives;
  3. Other dangerous weapons;
  4. Cell phones unless approved in writing by the Sheriff, Undersheriff or Corrections Chief Deputy. Other exceptions include:
    1. WCSO sergeants and above-ranking officers;
    2. Active members of the Washington County Drug Task Force, FIST and the Washington County Critical Incident Task Force.
      1. WCDTF and FIST members may only use their cell phones in Pre-Booking, the Intox Room, and Classroom Six.
    3. Washington County Maintenance personnel; and
    4. WCSO personnel who have been issued a departmental cell phone.
  5. Recording devices, except in the pre-booking area or with specific supervisor approval.
5. A prisoner that is not properly restrained shall not be permitted to enter PCF. A prisoner must be handcuffed, behind his/her back, or restrained by other devices which achieve the same function. An exception may be made for prisoners who are handcuffed in front:
  1. If the handcuffs are secured to a belly chain or similar transport restraints; or
  2. If handcuffing behind the back would aggravate a prisoner's existing injury or other physical problem; or
  3. If the prisoner is pregnant.
Rationale:
1. Establishment and enforcement of requirements and limitations help jail staff maintain safety, security, and order.
2. Securing firearms and other weapons in lockers or vehicles and requiring proper restraint of prisoners reduces the risk of injury to jail staff, transporting officers, and prisoners.
3. Restricting the introduction of cameras and cell phones into the jail helps minimize the opportunities for unauthorized photos or videos to be taken inside the jail. Unauthorized photos or videos could jeopardize safety and security and could increase risk of litigation.
4. Most cell phones can now be considered “small computers.” As a result, they are capable of much more than just making phone calls (Internet access, social media, etc.) and may contain sensitive information (financial records, personal and professional contacts, etc.).
5. Cell phones are generally small items and are relatively easy to misplace.
6. The introduction of weapons, cell phones and/or other contraband items has resulted in escapes and deaths, even in small jails.
7. Failing to handcuff a prisoner or handcuffing him/her in front creates a significantly greater risk to the safety and security of the facility.

CF 01_104 ENTRANCE

Policy:
1. Only authorized persons shall be permitted into the vehicle sally port.
2. Only authorized persons shall be permitted into PCF via the vehicle sally port.
3. Persons not permitted to enter the vehicle sally port include, but are not limited to:
  1. Reporters;
  2. Attorneys;
  3. Bail bondsman agents;
  4. Bail enforcement agents (a.k.a., bounty hunters).
4. A bail enforcement agent may be allowed into the vehicle sally port with specific approval from the Booking supervisor. However, the Bail Enforcement Agent shall not be permitted beyond the vehicle sally port.
5. Non-officer, non-prisoner passengers (a.k.a., ride-a-longs) may enter the vehicle sally port, but they should remain in the officer's vehicle unless specifically approved by the Corrections Chief Deputy to enter the booking area.
6. Transporting officers shall be required to provide identification prior to entering the vehicle sally port including, but not limited to:
  1. Agency name;
  2. Purpose;
  3. Quantity and genders of prisoners being brought in.
7. Jail staff shall verify the identity of persons requesting entrance to the vehicle sally port via audio and video surveillance equipment. If the jail employee is unsure of the identity or authorization of the person requesting entrance, he/she should seek appropriate assistance to verify the identity/authorization. Entrance shall be held until verification is obtained.
8. The arrestee shall remain secured in the transporting vehicle until both the arresting officer(s) weapons and the vehicle sally port doors have been properly secured. Vehicle sally port doors shall be closed and secured as soon as it safely possible to do so.
Rationale:
1. The purpose of the vehicle sally port is to meet the:
  1. Needs of officers transporting prisoners for a convenient, safe, and secure location from which to transfer prisoners from vehicles to the jail booking area; and
  2. Operational, safety, and security needs of the jail facility.

CF 01_105 VEHICLES

Policy:
1. Keys should be removed from or secured within all unattended vehicles inside the vehicle sally port.
2. Doors of all unattended vehicles inside the vehicle sally port shall be locked.
3. Oversized vehicles may load and unload in the vehicle sally port; however, they may not park or remain in the vehicle sally port when not loading or unloading.
Rationale:
1. Requiring keys to be removed or secured ensures that the vehicles are:
  1. Disabled, making it less likely to be used to attempt escape; and
  2. Not operating, reducing the vehicle exhaust emissions which enter the jail facility.
2. Requiring unattended vehicles to be locked prevents unauthorized access.
3. Oversized vehicles may obstruct access of other vehicles to and from the vehicle sally port.

CF 01_106 PRE-BOOKING

Policy:
1. PCF shall provide a pre-admission (a.k.a., Pre-Booking) holding area adjacent to the booking area for transporting officers to complete paperwork, conduct prisoner interviews, administer breath analysis tests, and complete other necessary pre-admission business in a safe, efficient, and timely manner.
2. For each prisoner being admitted to PCF, transporting officers should enter into the jail computer system:
  1. Prisoner information
  2. Arrest information;
  3. Offense and bond information;
  4. Probable cause, relative to the arrest.
Rationale:
1. Providing a separate work area for officers engaged in the pre-admission function:
  1. Ensures greater safety and security by retaining prisoners in a secure area where they can be given a complete and thorough search before being admitted into the booking area; and
  2. Increases efficiency by reducing the time required for transporting and booking officers to complete their individual functions in the admission of prisoners.
2. Transporting officers possess information needed for the admission process, including necessary information for the following Spillman screens: Name, Xname, Arrest, and Offense , as well as, any additional observations and information concerning the arrestee’s medical and mental condition. Having transporting officers directly enter information into the jail computer system ensures that information known by the officer is entered only once thus reducing the potential for mis-communication or duplication.

CF 01_107 INTOX ROOM

Policy:
1. Transporting officers may use the Intox Room in Pre-Booking to interview an arrestee and/or to conduct breath analysis tests.
2. A breath analysis machine should be made available to transporting officers in the Intox Room.
3. Custody of an arrestee shall not be transferred to PCF until the transporting officer is finished interviewing the arrestee and conducting tests.
Rationale:
1. PCF should not accept custody of an arrestee until the arresting officer has conducted their full investigation and PCF staff have reviewed the condition (e.g., medical needs) of the arrestee.

CF 01_108 ACCEPTANCE OF CUSTODY

Policy:
1. Before accepting custody of a prisoner, the jail officer should request from the transporting officer any information known to him which would be relevant and necessary to safely and securely process and house the prisoner. The arresting officer shall complete the Arresting or Transporting Officer Prisoner Questionnaire.
2. Before accepting custody of a prisoner brought to the jail for booking, the jail staff shall, at a minimum, make a reasonable attempt to determine that:
  1. The person bringing the prisoner to the jail is a peace officer or other person authorized to book the prisoner; and
  2. The prisoner is being lawfully admitted to the jail.
3. Before PCF accepts custody of any prisoner, jail staff shall:
  1. Conduct a medical screening of the prisoner;
  2. Review the offense(s) for the arrest;
  3. Review the probable cause statement for the arrest; and
  4. Review the Arresting or Transporting Officer Prisoner Questionnaire.
4. Persons under 18 years of age shall not ordinarily be admitted to the jail. A person under the age of 18 should be admitted if:
  1. Certified to stand trial or be incarcerated as an adult;
  2. Ordered to jail by a district court judge as a result of a direct filing; or
  3. Ordered confined in the jail by the juvenile court.
5. If an uncertified person is received at the jail who is under the age of 18, the jail staff shall not accept custody unless specifically ordered otherwise by court order. If it is found after the fact that an arrestee is under the age of 18, jail staff shall immediately make arrangements for transfer of the child to a juvenile detention facility.
Rationale:
1. Often arresting/transporting officers are aware of but fail to provide information concerning a prisoner's medical history, mental health problems, risk of attempting suicide, violent propensities, impound information, or other information.
2. In order to reduce liability for PCF and jail staff, specific screenings and reviews should be conducted prior to accepting custody of any prisoner.

CF 01_109 OUT OF COUNTY WARRANTS

Policy:
1. PCF will not accept custody or continue to house any prisoner or inmate whose incarceration is based solely on any out of county warrant designated as “Hold For Transport In Issuing County Only.”
2. PCF will not accept custody or continue to house on any prisoner or inmate whose incarceration is based solely on an out of county warrant designated as “Hold For Transport In Adjacent Counties Only,” unless the issuing county is, in fact, adjacent to Washington County.
3. PCF will accept custody or continue to house any prisoner or inmate whose warrant does not specify their transportation status. PCF staff will then contact the issuing agency to determine the appropriate status and initiate the appropriate response.
Rational
1. Holding prisoners under the above circumstances creates an additional burden on staff and available resources.

CF 01_110 MEDICAL SCREENING

Policy:
1. The following conditions shall require a written medical clearance from a physician (not a paramedic) prior to admitting the prisoner to the jail:
  1. Intoxicated greater than .30 blood-alcohol concentration;
  2. Unconscious;
  3. Altered level of consciousness or inability to walk under their own power;
  4. Trauma victims (e.g., vehicle collision, assault, lacerations, obvious fractures, head trauma, and/or blunt or penetrating abdominal trauma);
  5. Pregnant (high risk or late third trimester);
  6. Obvious symptoms of drug or alcohol withdrawal;
  7. Drug or alcohol overdose (actual or suspected);
  8. Seizure during or immediately prior to arrest or transport to jail;
  9. Seriously ill and in need of immediate medical treatment.
  10. Use of an anti opiate, such as Narcan or Naloxone.
2. Booking staff should consult with medical staff regarding a prisoner with a suspected mental illness. It may or may not be necessary for the prisoner to receive a physician's medical clearance prior to acceptance, but medical personnel should make the final determination.
3. When a prisoner requires a physician's medical clearance, PCF staff shall refuse acceptance of custody and inform the transporting officer of the need for a physician's written medical clearance.
4. When in doubt, booking staff should contact medical staff or a supervisor.
5. Terminally ill contract inmates shall not be accepted.
Rationale:
1. It may be necessary for a prisoner to receive medical attention prior to being admitted to jail. If a medical need is serious, the time required to complete admission procedures may be critical to the welfare of the prisoner. Unreasonable delays in providing immediate medical care for persons in need may result in the occurrence of an even more serious medical event.
2. A suspected mental illness could be caused by a medical condition or injury.

CF 01_111 OFFENSE AND PROBABLE CAUSE REVIEW

Policy:
1. Arresting/transporting officers shall provide a written probable cause statement for each arrestee brought to PCF on a warrantless arrest.
2. PCF staff should review the probable cause statement form and all other applicable documents for the arrest before each prisoner is admitted. If all of the necessary paperwork has not been completed, PCF staff shall not accept custody of the prisoner. PCF staff's decision to not admit a prisoner shall supersede the opinions or desires of an arresting or transporting officer to admit a prisoner, regardless of rank of the arresting or transporting officer.
3. PCF shall not accept custody of any prisoner, without a warrant or specific approval from the Corrections Chief Deputy, for a:
  1. Infraction;
  2. Citation offense;
  3. Civil offense (non-criminal).
4. Additional restrictions on acceptance of custody may be authorized by the Corrections Chief Deputy.
5. If a dispute arises between the arresting/transporting officer and PCF staff regarding acceptance of custody, the Corrections Chief Deputy shall be notified and, if necessary, shall contact the arresting/transporting officer's supervisor. Other PCF staff should not contact the arresting/transporting officer's supervisor, unless specifically directed to do so by the Chief Deputy.
Rationale:
1. The U.S. Constitution permits warrantless arrests, but requires that persons arrested without a warrant must be promptly brought before a magistrate for a judicial determination of probable cause. Probable cause determinations should be held as soon as possible, but at least within 24 hours of the arrest. When an arrested person does not receive a probable cause determination within 24 hours, the arrested person does not bear the burden of proving an unreasonable delay; rather, the burden shifts to the jail to demonstrate the existence of a bona fide emergency or other extraordinary circumstance. Delays which do not qualify as exigencies include:
  1. Intervening weekends; and
  2. Delays to permit combining PC determination with arraignment hearings.
2. Complications created by an incomplete submission of the necessary paperwork could potentially create an unreasonable delay in the probable cause review relating to an individual's arrest.
3. Because the jail has limited bed capacity, limitations must be set and enforced regarding what offenses a prisoner can be admitted into jail for.
4. PCF and the jail staff involved could be held liable for admitting a prisoner into jail when the sufficient paperwork is lacking. In order to avoid this situation, the necessary paperwork for each arrest should be reviewed by jail staff prior to accepting custody of the prisoner.

CF 01_112 PROPERTY

Policy:
1. The amount of property that a prisoner may be allowed into PCF with is limited to:
  1. The clothes being worn;
  2. Contents of pockets of clothes being worn;
  3. Other personal items that may fit within a single one gallon storage bag.
2. Prisoner property, in addition to the above list, shall not be permitted into PCF. Additional prohibited items include, but are not limited to:
  1. Extra clothing;
  2. Back packs;
  3. Large purses (i.e., too big to fit in a one gallon storage bag with other items as indicated above);
  4. Bicycles;
  5. Food or other perishable items; and
  6. Beverages.
Rationale:
1. The areas used to provide property storage for inmates' personal property is limited in size and space.