PURPOSE OF ORDER:
The purpose of this order is to establish procedures regarding the handcuffing of acute mentally ill inmates assigned to High Observation Housing (HOH) modules and inmates participating in the Life Program at the Century Regional Detention Facility (CRDF).
SCOPE OF ORDER:
This order shall apply to all personnel assigned to, or working in any capacity at CRDF.
ORDER:
In order to ensure the safety of custody personnel, inmates, and the overall security of the facility, custody personnel shall handcuff inmates who are:
Actively violent
Have a known propensity to become violent
Considered escape risks, or
Have a high security classification that indicates the need to be handcuffed
Mental health inmates may be handcuffed when necessary to ensure the safety of custody, medical, and mental health personnel and other inmates. Except where noted otherwise in this unit order, the necessity to handcuff an inmate shall be determined on an individual, case-by-case basis by Correctional Health Services (CHS) and custody personnel. In situations where custody and CHS disagree with the appropriate level of security, specifically, whether an inmate should or should not be handcuffed, the tower sergeant shall be contacted to resolve the issue.
When an inmate falls into the one of the above mentioned categories and must be removed from their cell to attend court or participate in program time, custody personnel shall utilize the tray slot to handcuff the inmate prior to removing the inmate from the cell.
If an inmate is hostile, aggressive, or has proven to be unpredictable and is housed in a cell that is not equipped with a tray slot, or a functioning tray slot, the inmate shall be directed to do the following:
Kneel on the floor with ankles crossed
Place hands behind their back or
Instruct the inmate to lie on the floor (prone) with their feet facing the door
The tower sergeant shall be notified and be present during the handcuffing of the inmate
All inmates assigned to HOH shall be handcuffed when being escorted on or off the HOH floor, and shall be waist chained when traveling to and returning from court.
The tray slot shall be utilized at all times when placing or removing handcuffs/waist chain on an inmate. If an inmate is unwilling to have their handcuffs or waist chains removed, custody personnel shall immediately contact the tower sergeant. Procedures delineated in the Custody Division Manual (CDM), Section 7-02/020.00, "Handling Insubordinate, Recalcitrant, Hostile, or Aggressive Inmates." shall be followed and adhered to.
For safety reasons, any inmate participating in a mental health intake evaluation shall be handcuffed at all times.
Life Program
The Life Program is an incentive-based program that provides a progressively less restrictive living environment for HOH inmates. Inmates assigned to the Life Program participate in unrestrained programs and activities unrestrained and receive a number of incentives.
In the designated Life Program, inmates deemed "cohabitable" (able to be housed in a cell with another inmate), are permitted to participate in selected activities inside their housing location and/or outdoor recreation area without being restrained.
The decision to allow an HOH inmate to participate in the program while unrestrained shall be done in concurrence of both custody and CHS staff.
Inmates selected for the Life Program shall meet the following criteria:
Medication compliant
Able to follow jail rules
Without Inmate Reports Tracking System (IRTS) write-ups within the last 60 days
**This criteria may be modified at the direction or approval of a sergeant**
Module personnel who identify a potential candidate (inmate) for the Life Program, shall send an email to the "CRDF-Life Program" email group and provide the following information:
The Life Program will be offered seven days a week from 0700-1300 hours and 1430- 1900 hours. It is the responsibility of module personnel to ensure the interconnecting doors are secured, before the release of inmates from their cells into the dayroom. The inmates may either be inside or outside of their cells.
When conducting cell cleaning, or any other non-program activity, as directed by the floor sergeant, inmates shall be handcuffed to the dayroom tables.
Pod doors may remain unsecured when inmates are programming in the pod dayroom and when any one of the following activities is taking place:
Title 15 safety checks shall be conducted utilizing two module officers/deputies. One officer will enter the pod, instruct all inmates to sit at a table and remain seated until further direction. The officer shall conduct the Title 15 safety check while the other module officer posts themselves at the pod door. Once the safety checks are complete in that pod, the doors shall be secured if CHS personnel or custody staff are not present.
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**If only two custody personnel are present in the module, programming shall be cancelled or inmates may continue out-of-cell programming, but must be handcuffed to the dayroom tables**
Inmates participating in the Life Program should be in the program for (30) days before being rehoused. If, however, a mental health supervisor believes an inmate should be declassed prior to the 30 day requirement, they shall notify the tower sergeant prior to moving the inmate to appropriate housing location based on their classification.
Refer to CDM Section 7-03/000.15, Security Restraints in Mental Health Housing for additional information pertaining to security restrains and unrestrained programming in HOH housing.
Revision Date 05/14/20
Revision Date 12//11/18
Revision Date 07/21/15
Revision Date 03/25/15