5-14/005.00 Town Hall Meetings

The purpose of conducting town hall meetings is to initiate an open dialogue with the inmates housed in custody facilities and ensure that there are adequate avenues for constructive inmate-staff communication. The goal is to enhance the inmates’ quality of life, while ensuring institutional security and safety from sexual abuse and sexual harassment. Town hall meetings are in addition to informal communications (and the formal inmate grievance process) that staff are expected to have with inmates to facilitate an open dialogue. Inmate Request/Grievance forms shall be available, upon request, during all town hall meetings.

It is the responsibility of each custody facility unit commander (or their designee) to facilitate town hall meetings at their respective facility. Every facility is required to conduct a town hall meeting for each housing area at least once per month. In order to encourage participation, town hall meetings shall not be conducted during Early Morning shifts.

Personnel conducting town hall meetings should attempt to include staff from Correctional Health Services (CHS), Education Based Incarceration (EBI), and/or other jail services, if they are available and time permits.

Personnel conducting town hall meetings shall endeavor to include inmates with mobility impairments (ADA) in any areas they may be housed.

Personnel conducting town hall meetings shall announce to the inmates that a town hall meeting is taking place, and they shall accomplish the following during each meeting:

• Inform inmates about the general request, medical request, and grievance process
• Inform inmates about utilizing the general request process to request information on available custody programs, such as:
  • Education Based Incarceration (EBI)
  • Family Programs and Resources
  • Good Time and Work Time Credits
  • Religious and Volunteer Services (RVS) programs, such as:
    • 12-Step
    • Friends Outside
    • Addiction programs
    • Inmate marriages
    • Religious diets
    • Religious services
• The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Zero Tolerance Pamphlet (SH-J-478) shall be reviewed with inmates during town hall meetings

• Inquire about any questions or concerns regarding housing conditions, safety, security, PREA, or sanitation
• Any issues derived from the town hall meetings relating to PREA shall be forwarded, via email, to the facility PREA compliance manager and shall also be entered into the Town Hall Tracker
• Maintain an accurate count of the number of inmates who participated in the town hall meeting, and document the booking numbers of inmates who raised concerns
• Complete and submit the “Town Hall Meeting Form” (SH-J-639)
  • Issues noted in the meeting shall be addressed by personnel conducting the town hall meeting and documented on the Town Hall Meeting Form.

Unit commanders, or their designee, shall ensure that town hall meeting forms are completed in a reasonable amount of time, but no more than seven (7) days from the date of the meeting.

Unit commanders, or their designee, shall ensure issues documented on the “Town Hall Meeting Form” are addressed by personnel who conducted the town hall meeting, and entered into the Microsoft Access Database “Town Hall Meeting Tracker” by designated operations staff.

In an effort to ensure all inmates are afforded the opportunity to participate in a town hall meeting, the unit commander (or their designee) shall monitor the housing locations.