07-066/00 Inmate Grievance Procedures

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

PURPOSE OF ORDER:     The purpose of this unit order is to establish and maintain a fair, objective and effective grievance process through which resolutions of inmate grievances are achieved at the lowest possible administrative level with timely responses to the aggrieved, and affording reasonable opportunities to appeal to the next level of review.

SCOPE OF ORDER:          This order applies to all personnel assigned to and/or working at the North County Correctional Facility (NCCF).

ORDER:

Any inmate desiring to request a service, information, or file a grievance regarding an issue related to his confinement shall be permitted, and instructed as necessary, to initiate an Inmate Request Form, Inmate Grievance Form, and/or appeal to the next level of review through the procedures established in this policy. Completed forms can be submitted by placing them in any of the secured inmate grievance boxes located throughout the jail or by handing them to any supervisor by the rank of sergeant or above.

All inmate grievances shall be written on an Inmate Grievance Form.  All line personnel shall ensure these forms are available at each staff station and in Inmate Services. Building supervisors shall check each housing area in their respective building a minimum of one (1) time per shift to ensure a sufficient supply of complaint forms and medical envelopes (for use with medical-related complaints) are available.

Inmate complaint boxes shall be checked a minimum of one (1) time per shift by the building sergeant. When collecting, the inmate request, grievance, and appeal forms shall be time stamped and reviewed by building sergeants who will update the e-UDAL’s Living Unit Collection Log, documenting the number of General Requests, Grievances, Other Requests and Medical Requests collected.

The EM Watch Commander will review each staff station’s e-UDAL to ensure compliance.

PRIORITY GRIEVANCES

Personnel collecting, sorting, and processing completed Inmate Grievance Forms shall be careful to identify grievances requiring priority handling and to ensure they are handled according to protocols established in this policy. Examples of grievances which require priority handling include, but are not limited to:

• Emergency Grievances (8-03/010.00 “EMERGENCY GRIEVANCES”) 

• Healthcare Inmate Grievances (8-03/020.00 “HEALTHCARE INMATE GRIEVANCES”)

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-Related Grievances (8-03/030.00 “ADA-RELATED REQUESTS AND GRIEVANCES”)

• Grievances Against Staff (8-03/040.00 “GRIEVANCES AGAINST STAFF”)

• Grievances of Retaliation (8-03/050.00 “GRIEVANCES OF RETALIATION”)

• Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)-Related Grievances (8-03/060.00 “PREA-RELATED GRIEVANCES”)

While priority inmate grievances shall be brought to the attention of the watch commander, those concerning healthcare, including grievances against medical and mental health staff, and those concerning ADA, shall be delivered to an on-duty supervising staff nurse upon collection.

All other grievances, including those grievances related to Food Services issues, shall be signed by the collecting Sergeant, time stamped and placed into the grievance collection box inside the Sergeant’s office for collection, tracking and assignment by the Inmate Grievance Team.

EMERGENCY GRIEVANCES

Personnel receiving any Inmate Grievance Form marked as an emergency shall determine if the situation requires prompt action to protect the life or safety of the inmate or others. If so, immediate action shall be taken.

Personnel shall give the emergency grievance to a sergeant and notify him or her of the situation without delay. The sergeant shall promptly review the emergency grievance, verify that appropriate action has been taken to address the emergency, and initiate any additional actions to protect the life or safety of the inmate or others. The handling sergeant shall also be responsible for ensuring the Inmate Grievance Form is time stamped and a reference number is assigned in the Custody Automated Report and Tracking System (CARTS).

The sergeant shall promptly notify the watch commander of the emergency grievance. The watch commander shall confirm the emergency exists and, if so, shall ensure appropriate action has been taken to protect the inmate and to resolve the issues which gave rise to the emergency.

The watch commander shall further ensure a written response is provided to the inmate within five (5) calendar days documenting what action was taken to address the situation which gave rise to the emergency.

If it is determined an emergency does not exist, the watch commander or designated sergeant shall notify the inmate as soon as practical, but not later than five (5) calendar days, that the grievance will be handled as a non-emergency grievance and document why it was determined not to be an emergency. In addition, any aspects of an emergency grievance deemed to not be an emergency shall be subject to the general inmate grievance process and the deadlines set forth in the Inmate Grievance Policy.

When an emergency grievance is received in written form, the watch commander shall ensure the bottom portion of the Inmate Grievance Form is completed by a supervisor of the minimum rank of sergeant. The watch commander shall also ensure that the aggrieved inmate is given the yellow copy of the completed Inmate Grievance Form, along with instructions regarding how to submit an appeal.

If an emergency grievance is received via computer tablet, the watch commander shall ensure the disposition is documented in CARTS. The watch commander shall also ensure the aggrieved inmate is given a CARTS-generated notification of disposition along with instructions on how to submit an appeal.

Whether received in written or electronic form, emergency grievances shall be recorded and processed in CARTS.

Upon completion, the original grievance form may be placed into the grievance collection box inside the sergeant’s office for collection and tracking by Inmate Grievance Team members.