The primary goal of the Population Management Bureau (PMB) Classification Unit is to ensure that inmates are classified in a fair and consistent manner and to determine an inmate's security level. When determining the inmate's security level, Department personnel shall not discriminate against any individual based on gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, creed, culture, background, physical or mental disability, or national origin.
It is the responsibility of the PMB unit commander to ensure that classification personnel determine housing needs of each newly admitted inmate. Each inmate shall be individually assessed based on objective and identifiable criteria that provide for placement of the inmate in the least restrictive housing compatible with their security level.
The PMB Central Housing Unit is responsible for developing written unit orders detailing a procedure designed to properly assign inmates to housing units according to a specified security level.
Facilities with medical and/or mental health housing may make exceptions to the assignment of an inmate's housing based on their security level for medical or mental health reasons. These exceptions shall be established in a facility unit order before implementation.
It shall be the responsibility of a PMB classification officer to conduct the primary classification of an inmate for the purposes of determining a security level before transfer to a housing assignment.
In completing the primary classification interview, the classification officer is expected to:
It shall be the responsibility of PMB to conduct reviews of inmates who gain an additional M7 (serious or violent convictions or charges or both) or have a sentence change while in custody.
Facility unit commanders are responsible for the management of their disciplinary housing and ensuring compliance with the appropriate housing of inmates based on classification levels and other factors such as age, race, arrest charge, and medical and mental health needs.
Administrative Segregation status involves specific classification of an inmate based on distinct factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, an inmate's past criminal history, present criminal charges, current and past mental history, threat to jail security, and tendency to manifest violent behavior. Refer to CDM section 5-01/030.00, "Identification and Classification Symbols for Special Handling Inmates," for additional information related to types of Administrative Segregation.
Any inmate who is booked into the Inmate Reception Center (IRC) or the Century Regional Detention Facility (CRDF) who previously had a classification code shall be reclassified with their prior classification code unless a reclassification request has been completed by either facility's classification unit. In the event the prior classification code(s) is (are) no longer in use, personnel shall classify the inmate to the nearest existing classification level.
These new incoming inmates previously classified as Restricted Housing [REDACTED TEXT], Protected Custody [REDACTED TEXT] or who require some additional follow-up or further investigation, shall be classified as a [REDACTED TEXT] temporary classification. Those inmate names and booking numbers should be forwarded to the Custody Investigative Services-Jail Liaison Unit for further investigation, follow-up and reclassification and they shall be housed in the incoming administrative segregation housing module(s) pending a review.
Additional classification status shall be determined by the Population Management Bureau (PMB), Classification Unit. Requests for additional classification shall be submitted to the PMB Classification Unit.
CIS - Jail Liaison Unit shall be responsible for the reclassification of inmates with the following classifications: [REDACTED TEXT]. If the inmates have additional classifications other than those listed in this paragraph, the additional classification status shall be approved by the PMB Classification Unit lieutenant or their designee.
Refer to CDM section 5-01/030.00, "Identification and Classification Symbols for Special Handling Inmates," for a complete description of all inmate types, classifications, and identifications.
All inmates shall have the opportunity to appeal their classification assignment within ten days of the original primary classification decision. The classification assignment appeal shall be submitted by the inmate on an Inmate Request/Complaint form (SH-J-420). All appeals shall be forwarded to the classification liaison supervisor at the permanent rank of sergeant or above. It is the responsibility of the classification liaison supervisor to review the inmate's classification fairly and based on articulable facts.
Inmates that are monitored by the Custody Investigative Services-Jail Liaison Unit shall have their classification appeal reviewed by the Jail Liaison Unit sergeant with oversight by the Restrictive Housing Panel.
Upon completion of a classification appeal, the result shall be documented and stored in the inmate's record jacket. The inmate shall be notified, in writing, within ten days of the final decision.
A classification review can be requested by custody, vocational, educational, or volunteer personnel. The request for review shall be submitted to the PMB classification lieutenant or in his/her absence, the PMB Classification sergeant via email. This review shall be conducted within ten days of receiving the request.
Inmates can request a classification review once every 30 days. This request shall be submitted on an Inmate Request form. The inmate shall be notified of the pending review within fifteen (15) days of receiving the request. Refer to CDM section 8-02/010.00, "General Requests."
All inmates shall be periodically reviewed at least once every 45 days from the last date of review. Additionally, all inmates who have been found to have conducted a major violation of jail rules shall have their security level reviewed within ten (10) days of being placed in disciplinary segregation. The facility classification liaison or classification officer shall be responsible for ensuring all inmates in their facility are reviewed within ten (10) days of their assigned mitigating review date. This review can be conducted administratively or in a face-to-face meeting, at the discretion of the classification liaison or classification officer.
All inmates who were classified while un-sentenced shall be reviewed at sentencing. It shall be the sole responsibility of the PMB Classification Unit to ensure that all inmates are reviewed within ten (10) days of sentencing.
It shall be the responsibility of the classification officer or facility classification liaison performing the classification review to ensure that inmates are notified in writing whenever there has been a change in the inmate's security level, which would affect his/her housing (low, medium or high).
For inmates designated with a classification of [REDACTED TEXT], it shall be the responsibility of the CIS-Jail Liaison Unit to conduct regular reviews of the facts and circumstances initiating the Administrative Segregation classification of an inmate. After the initial review by CIS – Jail Liaison, a follow-up review will occur within the first 60 days and after that every 30 days. If facts or criteria have changed, the CIS-Jail Liaison Unit shall initiate a classification change.
All personnel who request to have an inmate relocated from their facility to another facility shall contact the appropriate Central Housing Unit (CHU) for approval. All reports relating to the transfer (e.g., discipline, first reports, medical, informational report, etc.), shall accompany the inmate. An inmate shall not be transferred from any facility until all reports or documentation regarding the transfer is complete.
Unit commanders shall be responsible for developing and implementing a plan that provides for the temporary emergency reclassification of inmates for safety or security reasons, including but not limited to:
The watch commander shall have the administrative authority to reclassify inmates on an emergency basis. In the event of an emergency reclassification of inmates by an individual facility, the PMB Classification Unit shall be immediately notified. Facilities shall not transfer a large number of inmates (30 or more) without the approval of the PMB classification lieutenant (or the PMB sergeant if the PMB lieutenant is unavailable).
Any major changes in the classification level of groups of inmates, group segregation, facility housing requirements, and policy and procedure related to inmate classification shall only be made with the concurrence of the PMB unit commander, Custody Support Services unit commander, and the concerned division chief.
Inmates requiring emergent classification to Restricted Housing shall first temporarily be classified as a [REDACTED TEXT] and housed accordingly. Notification to the CIS - Jail Liaison Unit shall be made as reasonably possible upon placement into [REDACTED TEXT] housing. The purpose and reasons for placement (emergent or not) of the inmate [REDACTED TEXT] into Restricted Housing shall be reviewed by the CIS-Jail Liaison Unit supervisor within seven days of that placement. If the case has already been reviewed, approved or denied within that time frame, the need for the specific supervisor approval is no longer necessary.
The Classification Review Committee shall be chaired by the PMB Classification lieutenant and consist of designated personnel from the PMB Classification Unit. The committee shall meet in response to any identified problems with classification or policy issues that may arise during the weekly CHU briefing.
Refer to CDM section 3-20/000.00, "Restrictive Housing Panel," for responsibilities of the Panel in the classification and reclassification of inmates within restricted housing.
CIS-Jail Liaison Unit shall be guided by the following specific and approved criteria of the Restrictive Housing Panel: