CH 07 Laundry (Policy.Corrections.CH 07 Laundry.WebHome)

11. It is in the best interest of PCF and the health and well being of inmates housed at PCF to ensure that inmates are provided with adequate and clean laundry.

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11. Minimum laundry needs cannot be met if there is not a sufficient supply.

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**CH 07_104 __PERSONAL CLOTHING__**

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1. Policy:

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11. Before storing inmates' personal clothing, the clothing:

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111. May be laundered if it is soiled;

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111. Shall be laundered if it is vermin infested, foul smelling, or heavily soiled.

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1. Rationale:

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11. Laundering of clothing helps the jail maintain a sanitary environment, reduces the likelihood of vermin infestation, and controls odors in the storage area. The need for laundering is more acute if the clothing is dirty, infested with vermin, or smells.

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**CH 07_105 __LAUNDRY ISSUE__**

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1. Policy:

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11. Inmates shall be required to exchange personal clothing for PCF clothing.

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11. Inmates shall be issued laundry items according to their classification status (reference policy: CG 05 Inmate Classification) and the current Property Matrix (reference policy: CG 04 Orientation and Rules).

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11. Inmates shall be provided temperature-appropriate clothing (e.g., warm coats for exterior inmate workers during cold weather).

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1. Rationale:

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11. Clothing exchanges are important procedures to aid in the process of maintaining sanitation and cleanliness in the jail. Inmates are not legally entitled to wear their own personal clothing. Requiring inmates to wear jail clothing provides security benefits by:

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111. Preventing inmates from smuggling contraband into the general housing area hidden in their clothing;

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111. Making it more difficult for inmates to escape custody since they won't be able to blend in with non-inmates; and

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111. Making it more difficult for inmates who have fled custody to avoid recapture due to the distinctive and easily identifiable attire.

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**CH 07_106 __LAUNDERING__**

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1. Policy:

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11. Laundry items shall be laundered prior to re-issue.

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11. Clothing, bed sheets, blankets, and towels should be exchanged and/or laundered according to the current schedule set by the Laundry Unit. At a minimum:

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111. Inmates should be provided a supply and/or exchange for daily clean underwear and socks;

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111. Clothing other than underwear and socks should be laundered or exchanged at least twice per week;

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111. Bed sheets and towels should be laundered or exchanged at least once per week; and

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111. Blankets should be laundered at least once per month.

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11. Inmates on lockdown status or housed in Booking and A-Block, shall have clothing, bed sheets, and towels laundered by pin bag.

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11. Inmates not on lockdown status and not housed in Booking, or A-Block shall have clothing, bed sheets, and towels laundered via inmate laundry bags.

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11. Blankets shall be laundered by laundry exchange for all inmates.

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1. Rationale:

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11. The laundering schedule should be determined based on what it takes to maintain inmate and facility cleanliness and hygiene. The specific schedule is less important to the courts than the result. If the jail laundry procedures produce an environment which is unhealthy and results in sanitation problems or has a direct detrimental impact on the health and well being of the inmates, the jail will be more vulnerable to litigation. Courts have upheld laundering:

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111. Sheets and clothing once per week;

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111. Blankets before reissue or every few months if inmate is incarcerated for a long period.

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**CH 07_107 // //__LAUNDRY RETURN__**

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1. Policy:

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11. At time of release, each inmate shall return all PCF-issued laundry items.

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11. The inmate's property issue records should be reviewed for verification.

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1. Rationale:

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11. Allowing inmates to keep jail laundry items after release would be too costly for PCF.

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**CH 07_108 __RESTITUTION__**

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1. Policy:

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11. In the event that a laundry item is missing, damaged, or destroyed, the inmate should be charged for restitution.

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1. Rationale:

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11. Not holding inmates accountable for lost, damaged, or destroyed laundry items would encourage further abuse of laundry items.

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**CH 07_109 __MAINTENANCE__**

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1. Policy:

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11. The laundry drying machines, washing machines, and soap/bleach systems should be checked and maintained by professional technicians on a regular basis:

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111. Maintenance checks on washers and dryers should be scheduled at least two times per year; and

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111. Maintenance checks on soap/bleach systems should be scheduled at least one time every three months.

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1. Rationale:

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11. Regular maintenance may help prevent costly repairs and/or replacement.

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**CH 07_110 __HAZARDOUS MATERIALS__**

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1. Policy:

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11. Any laundry item known to be contaminated or infected shall be handled as a hazardous material (reference policy: CY 12 Hazardous Materials Spill or Contamination).

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1. Rationale:

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11. Suspected hazardous material should be handled as hazardous material in order to avoid unnecessary risk.

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