6-15/010.00 Inmate Clothing, Bedding, and Personal Hygiene

Standard Institutional Clothing

The watch commander shall be responsible for the control, storage, and inventory of all inmate clothing. A sufficient supply of clothing shall be available at all times and staff shall be prepared to meet unforeseen demands which may arise (e.g., contaminated inmate clothing, inmate is booked without sufficient clothing, inmate clothing held for evidence, etc.).

Clothing shall be issued to all inmates held over 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. Standard issue of institutional clothing shall include, but not be limited to:

• Socks and footwear (1 pair of each)
• 1 thermal shirt and 1 thermal pants
• Outer-garments
• Undergarments
  • For males: shorts and undershirt
  • For females: 2 panties and 1 bra

All issued and exchanged clothing shall be clean and free of holes or tears, reasonably fitted, durable, easily laundered and repaired. Undergarments shall be clean, free of holes or tears, and substantially free of stains. Individuals shall be able to select the garment type more compatible with their gender identity and gender expression.

Special Clothing

Inmates shall be issued suitable additional clothing to enable them to perform such special work assignments as food service, sanitation, mechanical, or other specified work.

Inmates shall be provided with suitable footwear if their personal shoes are inappropriate for the facility or if no shoes were worn at the time of arrest. Inmate workers shall receive footwear appropriate for their job assignment and shall wear it only while working.

Clothing Exchange

Each facility shall provide for the regular exchange of inmate clothing. Thermal clothing and outer garments, except footwear, shall be exchanged at least once each week unless work, climatic conditions, or illness necessitates more frequent exchanges. Individual stations may distribute thermal clothing bi-weekly so long as two sets of thermal clothing are provided with each laundry exchange. Undergarments and socks shall be exchanged twice each week, or two sets issued once a week.

Personal Care Items

Each facility shall issue personal hygiene items according to the following guidelines:

• All menstruating inmates shall have ready access to sanitary napkins, panty liners, and tampons.
• All inmates held over 24 hours who are unable to supply themselves with the following personal care items, either because of indigence or the absence of an inmate canteen, shall be issued:
  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Soap
  • Comb
  • Shaving implements

Showering

Upon assignment to a housing area, inmates shall be permitted to shower daily. Units that cannot routinely comply with this procedure because of physical plant limitations shall make provisions to allow inmates to shower at least every other day. Inmate workers shall also be permitted to shower daily. If showering is prohibited, it shall be approved by the unit commander or designee, and the reason and approval shall be documented in the electronic Uniform Daily Activity Log (e-UDAL).

Hair Care Services

Head and facial hair shall be kept clean and groomed at all times. Unit commanders may implement necessary restrictions regarding extreme hair styles that relate to safety, health, hygiene, or security. These restrictions may result in exclusion from certain work assignments.

The following guidelines apply:

• Hair care services shall be available to all inmates assigned to station jails.
• Inmates, except those who may not shave for reasons of identification in court, shall be permitted to shave daily and receive hair care services at least once a month.
• Hair care equipment shall be cleaned and disinfected before each use by approved methods by the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology as required by section 7312 of the Business and Professions Code.

Dress Code

Dress codes adaptable to daily inmate life should include, but are not limited to:

• Standard jail clothing shall be worn at all times.
• Alteration, in any form, of jail clothing is not allowed.
• Appropriate footwear shall be worn at all times.

Bedding and Linen

Upon assignment to a housing location a standard issue of bedding and linens for each inmate who is expected to be held over 12 hours shall include, but not be limited to:

• One serviceable mattress (mattresses shall not be issued without a sheet or mattress cover)
• One sheet or mattress cover
• One towel
• One blanket (or more depending upon climatic conditions)

An inmate shall not be deprived of bedding and under no circumstances be deprived of bedding as a punitive action. Only the watch commander may remove bedding privileges in the event the inmate destroys or damages the bedding.

Mattresses shall be free of holes and tears. Mattresses with holes, tears, or that lack sufficient padding shall be replaced when observed by personnel (e.g., housing newly arrived inmates, Title 15 inmate safety checks, upon notification by the inmate, etc.).

Bedding and Linen Exchange

The following guidelines concerning bedding and linen exchange shall be adhered to:

• Bedding and linens shall be laundered and sanitized after each use.
• Washable items such as sheets, mattress covers, and towels shall be exchanged for clean replacements at least once each week.
• If a top sheet is not issued, blankets shall be laundered or dry-cleaned at least once a month or more often if necessary.
• If a top sheet is issued, blankets shall be laundered or dry-cleaned at least every 3 months.