07-035/02 Nighttime Facility Operation

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

PURPOSE OF ORDER:

The purpose of this unit order is to establish procedures regarding the operation of all housing locations during nighttime hours.

SCOPE OF ORDER: 

This order applies to all personnel assigned to and/or working at the North County

Correctional Facility (NCCF).

ORDER:

For the purpose of this unit order, nighttime hours are defined as:

• Sunday – Thursday (2200 hours - 0700 hours)
• Friday – Saturday (2300 hours - 0700 hours)

Operations throughout the facility during these hours, within inmate housing locations shall be limited for the purpose of inmate and personnel safety. These hours are used to give inmates within each housing location the proper amount of quiet time due to the dorm setting of NCCF. During nighttime hours, lighting within each housing location will be turned off at each staff station panel, leaving each location dimmed. The lower level of light poses a safety risk to the inmates and deputy personnel conducting safety checks. Staff station personnel may turn the lights on for more visibility within any given housing location, for a reasonable amount of time.  Lighting shall not be used as any form of discipline.

During the nighttime hours, the inmates telephones, hotpots, showers, and common seating areas shall not be permitted to be used (see UO#07-175/60 Telephone Procedures). All inmates within any given housing location shall remain on their assigned bunk throughout the duration of count and into the nighttime program.

Inmates shall not be deprived of using the bathrooms, or sinks. Under exigent circumstances, the closed areas/ items within each housing location may be used at the discretion of a building supervisor and evaluated on a case-by-case basis during nighttime hours.