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Wiki source code of CG 05 Inmate Classification

Version 1.3 by Ryan Larkin on 2017/01/13 16:26
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Ryan Larkin 1.1 1 **Washington County Sheriff's Office**
2
3 **CORRECTIONS DIVISION**
4
5 Policy Manual
6
7
8 Volume: CG
9
10 Inmate Management
11
12 Chapter: 05
13
14 Inmate Classification
15
16
17 Replaces and/or Supersedes:
18
19 PG 10, PG 11, PG 12a, PG 12b, PG 12c, PG 12d, PG 15, PG 20, PG 22,
20
21 PG 23, CG 05 Review 2011-09-01
22
23 Published:
24
25 09/01/2011
26
27 Date Reviewed:
28
29 07/20/2015
30
31
32 Sheriff Cory C. Pulsipher
33
34 Chief Deputy Jake Schultz
35
36
37 **__TABLE OF CONTENTS__**
38
39 CG 05_101 Definitions
40
41 CG 05_102 References
42
43 CG 05_103 General
44
45 CG 05_104 Supervision & Training
46
47 CG 05_105 Non-Punitive
48
49 CG 05_106 Pre-Classification
50
51 CG 05_107 Classification
52
53 CG 05_108 Classification Code
54
55 CG 05_109 Classification Review
56
57 CG 05_110 Housing
58
59 CG 05_111 Classification Challenges
60
61 CG 05_112 Inmate Uniforms
62
63 CG 05_113 Utah State Prisoners
64
65 CG 05_114 Documentation
66
67 CG 05_115 Classification of Records
68
69
70 **CG 05_101 __DEFINITIONS__**
71
72 1. WCSO: Washington County Sheriff's Office
73 1. PCF: Purgatory Correctional Facility
74 1. Corrections Officer: A Corrections certified officer by Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training.
75 1. ICE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
76 1. Administrative Segregation: Non-punitive segregation determined by administrative review.
77 1. Step-Down: A type of Administrative Segregation. A temporary down-grade of an inmate's classification level, in conjunction with close administrative review.
78
79 **CG 05_102 __REFERENCES__**
80
81 1. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Standards:
82 11. 5.
83 1. Utah Sheriffs' Association Jail Standards:
84 11. D02.01.01: Written Classification Policies and Procedures Required
85 11. D02.02.01: Designated Classification Officer
86 11. D02.02.02: Classification Training
87 11. D02.03.01: Classification Function
88 11. D02.03.02: Classification is Non-Punitive
89 11. D02.03.03: Scope of Classification Plan
90 11. D02.03.05: Classification Reassessment
Ryan Larkin 1.2 91 11. D02.03.06: Inmate Requests for Reconsideration of Classification
Ryan Larkin 1.1 92 11. D02.04.01: General Classification Criteria Requirements
93 11. D02.04.02: Classification Criteria: Race
94 11. D02.04.03: Classification Criteria: Gender
Ryan Larkin 1.2 95 11. D02.04.04: Classification Criteria: Violent Inmates
Ryan Larkin 1.1 96 11. D02.04.05: Classification Criteria: Communicable Disease
Ryan Larkin 1.2 97 11. D02.04.06: Classification Criteria: Security Threat Groups
Ryan Larkin 1.1 98 11. D02.05.01: Documenting Classification
99 11. D02.05.02: Classification of Records
Ryan Larkin 1.2 100 11. K01.01.01: Written Inmate Surveillance Policies and Procedures Required
101 11. K01.01.02: Content: Surveillance
102 11. K01.02.02: Operational and Surveillance Requirements
103 11. K02.01.02: Content: Capacity
Ryan Larkin 1.1 104
105 **CG 05_103 __GENERAL__**
106
107 1. Policy:
108 11. PCF shall maintain written policy and procedures which provide the requirements for and elements of an inmate classification plan to:
109 111. Be used in determining housing assignments, access to programs and activities, and general management of inmates; and
110 111. 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.
111 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.
112 11. At a minimum, the classification system shall provide a means of:
113 111. Evaluating inmates':
114 1111. Propensity for violence;
115 1111. Vulnerability to violence;
116 1111. Escape risk;
117 1111. Propensity for being disruptive or a management problem;
118 1111. Need for specific programs and services;
119 1111. Possible gang affiliation;
120 1111. Potential for infecting other inmates with a communicable disease; and
121 1111. Other needs to be segregated from others;
122 111. Determining:
123 1111. Appropriate levels of custody and housing assignments; and
124 1111. Eligibility for programs and services.
125 11. Components which shall be included in the classification plan include:
126 111. Pre-classification;
127 111. Classification;
128 111. Re-assessment (a.k.a., Classification Review);
129 111. Security threat groups;
130 111. Other inmates requiring special management;
131 111. Non-punitive isolation; and
132 111. Transfers of Utah State prisoners.
133 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.
134 1. Rationale:
135 11. Written policies and procedures are necessary to ensure that staff members understand the purpose, function, and elements of the inmate classification system.
136 11. Adoption and implementation of written policy for the classification of persons incarcerated in jail is also required by statute.
137 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.
138
139 **CG 05_104 __SUPERVISION & TRAINING__**
140
141 1. Policy:
142 11. PCF shall designate an officer to supervise the classification system.
143 11. The classification supervisor should:
144 111. Be responsible for reviewing classification, re-classification, and special housing assignments;
145 111. Have the authority to overrule classification actions; and
146 111. Handle inmate classification challenges and grievances.
147 11. The classification supervisor may utilize the assistance of other staff members, as approved by the Corrections Chief Deputy.
148 11. The classification supervisor may have other duties and responsibilities.
149 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.
150 11. All classification officers shall be certified Corrections Officers.
151 11. All classification officers shall receive annual training and shall receive specific instruction on the PCF classification system.
152 1. Rationale:
153 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.
154 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.
155
Ryan Larkin 1.3 156 **CG 05_105 __NON-PUNITIVE__**
Ryan Larkin 1.1 157
158 1. Policy:
159 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.
160 1. Rationale:
161 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.
162
Ryan Larkin 1.3 163 **CG 05_106 __PRE-CLASSIFICATION__**
Ryan Larkin 1.1 164
165 1. Policy:
166 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]].
167
Ryan Larkin 1.3 168 **CG 05_107 __CLASSIFICATION__**
Ryan Larkin 1.1 169
170 1. Policy:
171 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).
172 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.
173 11. PCF shall adopt specific criteria to be used in classifying inmates. That criteria should include, but not be limited to:
174 111. Gender;
175 111. Age;
176 111. Offense;
177 111. Criminal history;
178 111. Time to release;
179 111. Observed, seriously irregular behavior; and
180 111. If known or obvious to jail officials:
181 1111. Communicable disease;
182 1111. Seriously mentally or emotionally disordered;
183 1111. Escape history;
184 1111. Violence history;
185 1111. Drug abuse history;
186 1111. Association with security threat group;
187 1111. Disciplinary history; and
188 1111. Disruptive behavior history.
189 11. Race shall not be used as a criteria to segregate inmates.
190 11. Inmates shall be segregated by gender. Male and female inmates shall be housed in a manner which:
191 111. Does not permit inmates to routinely view the living areas (cells and day rooms) of inmates of the opposite gender; and
192 111. Prevents routine verbal conversation between male and female inmates.
193 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.
194 11. Inmates who present a serious risk of infecting other inmates with a communicable disease should be segregated, if deemed necessary by medical authority.
195 1. Rationale:
196 11. The classification factors listed above may, individually or in combination, have some value as predictors of an inmate's behavior while incarcerated.
197 11. Some factors have greater value than others.
198 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.
199 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.
200 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.
201 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).
202 11. Jails are closed environments where inmates and staff coexist in close proximity. Preventing the spread of communicable disease may require segregation of inmates when the type of disease is sufficiently serious and contagious.
203
Ryan Larkin 1.3 204 **CG 05_108 __CLASSIFICATION CODE__**
Ryan Larkin 1.1 205
206 1. Policy:
207 11. Inmates will be classified with a two-digit classification code (e.g., 3K). The first digit will be a number identifying the inmate's classification level. The second digit will be a letter identifying the inmate's threat status.
208 11. Classification levels include levels one through five, with one being the highest security risk.
209 1. Rationale:
210 11. A dual-coded system allows jail staff to address multiple issues with one classification code per inmate (e.g., housing assignments, programming privileges, permitted property, etc.).
211
Ryan Larkin 1.3 212 **CG 05_109 __CLASSIFICATION REVIEW__**
Ryan Larkin 1.1 213
214 1. Policy:
215 11. Classification reviews should be conducted, at a minimum, according to the following schedule:
216 111. Administrative Segregation (including Step-Down, security threat groups, non-punitive isolation, and other special management inmates): at least once per week;
217 111. Lock Down: at least once prior to being released from Lock Down status;
218 111. Level-1, and Level-2: at least once every 180 days;
219 111. Level-3 and higher: at least once every year.
220 11. Additional reviews may be conducted as needed.
221 1. Rationale:
222 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.
223 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.
224
Ryan Larkin 1.3 225 **CG 05_110 __HOUSING__**
Ryan Larkin 1.1 226
227 1. Policy:
228 11. Level1 inmates may not be housed with any other level of inmate unless approved by the Special Housing Committee or the Chief Deputy.
229 11. Excluding Level1 inmates, inmates may be housed with inmates one level above or one level below their assigned level.
230 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.
231 1. Rationale:
232 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.
233
Ryan Larkin 1.3 234 **CG 05_111 __CLASSIFICATION CHALLENGES__**
Ryan Larkin 1.1 235
236 1. Policy:
237 11. Inmates may be allowed to request reconsideration of their classification assignment by submitting a Classification Challenge form.
238 11. Inmates may be permitted one classification challenge per classification determination.
239 11. A classification challenge will not guarantee a change in the classification assignment; however, it will guarantee that a classification review will be conducted.
240 1. Rationale:
241 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.
242
Ryan Larkin 1.3 243 **CG 05_112 __INMATE UNIFORMS__**
Ryan Larkin 1.1 244
245 1. Policy:
246 11. Each inmate shall be issued color-coded uniforms according to their classification level or housing unit as follows:
247 111. “A” threat status: solid red;
248 111. Lockdown status: red stripes;
249 111. Level 1: red stripes;
250 111. Level 2: black stripes;
251 111. Level 3, Level 4, Level 5 (interior) and Level 5A (interior): blue stripes;
252 111. Level 5 (exterior) and Level 5A (exterior): green stripes;
253 111. Unclassified: orange stripes;
254 111. Interior worker (while at work): solid white;
255 111. Exterior worker (while at work): solid “lime” green.
256 1. Rationale:
257 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.
258
Ryan Larkin 1.3 259 **CG 05_113 __UTAH STATE PRISONERS__**
Ryan Larkin 1.1 260
261 1. Policy:
262 11. Unless a PCF administrative override is conducted, Utah State prisoners shall retain their classification level assigned from the prison.
263 11. PCF should only accept custody of Utah State prisoners who have been classified as a Level-3 or higher.
264 11. If a Utah State prisoner's classification falls below Level-3 while housed at PCF, the prisoner shall be promptly transferred from PCF.
265 1. Rationale:
266 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.
267
Ryan Larkin 1.3 268 **CG 05_114 __DOCUMENTATION__**
Ryan Larkin 1.1 269
270 1. Policy:
271 11. Classification determinations shall be documented in the jail computer system.
272 11. Classification files and/or forms used to reach a classification determination shall be retained and archived for a minimum of three years.
273 1. Rationale:
274 11. Proper documentation memorializes actions taken and decisions made.
275 11. Inmate classification actions and decisions should be documented to preserve a record:
276 111. As an aid to defending possible future litigation;
277 111. To provide information which jail officials can use in order to stay informed;
278 111. For use in future classification actions involving the inmate; and
279 111. To provide data which can be quantified for use by jail officials.
280
Ryan Larkin 1.3 281 **CG 05_115 __CLASSIFICATION OF RECORDS__**
Ryan Larkin 1.1 282
283 1. Policy:
284 11. Classification files shall be classified as "controlled" or "protected" under the Governmental Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA).
285 1. Rationale:
286 11. Failure to classify the files as "controlled" or "protected" as required by GRAMA may make them accessible to the press, general public, and inmates.
287 11. Files can ordinarily be classified as "controlled" because disclosure of information contained in the classification documents may be detrimental to the safety of the person who disclosed the information or other individuals.
288 11. Files can be classified as "protected" because disclosure of information contained in classification documents could reasonably be expected to:
289 111. Interfere with investigations undertaken for enforcement purposes;
290 111. Disclose the identify of a source who is confidential and could compromise the source;
291 111. Disclose investigative techniques, procedures, policies, or orders not generally known outside of government and disclosure would interfere with enforcement efforts;
292 111. Jeopardize the life or safety of an individual;
293 111. Jeopardize the security of government property, governmental programs, or governmental record-keeping systems from damage or use contrary to law or public policy; or
294 111. Jeopardize the security or safety of a correctional facility, or records relating to incarceration, treatment, probation, or parole; that would interfere with control and supervision of an offender's incarceration, treatment, probation, or parole.