Inmate Count/Inmate Welfare Check Procedures

PURPOSE OF ORDER:

To establish policy and procedure for conducting the inmate count(s) and the overall inmate safety and welfare at Twin Towers Correctional Facility (TTCF).

SCOPE OF ORDER:

This order shall apply to all personnel assigned to and/or working in any capacity at TTCF.

ORDER:

Listed below are four different types of counts utilized to maintain accountability of inmates assigned to Twin Towers Correctional Facility. During all shift counts, (AM/PM/EM), deputy personnel shall visually check inside the cells of all inmates to ensure their safety and welfare. Should there be any doubt regarding an inmate’s condition, staff shall attempt to elicit a response from the inmate. If unable to elicit a response from the inmate, a sergeant and medical staff shall be requested. Personnel shall continue to attempt to elicit a response from the inmate (and, if necessary, render first aid and/or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as described in Custody Division Manual (CDM) section 5-03/060.00 "Response to Inmate Medical Emergencies")

Physical Body Count

A physical body count is merely counting the number of inmates present in the module/housing area.   Custody personnel shall count bodies, not spaces. An inmate shall not be counted as being in the module if they are physically not there. housing location.  Personnel picking up inmate workers are responsible for properly filling out these logs and these inmates, particularly their return to their housing unit upon the completion of their assignment. Following the completion of each shift, these logs will be picked up by the PPO personnel and retained in their office for a period of five years, in accordance with CDM section 4-13/000.00, “Retention of Records”.

Division Count

At 0300 hours daily, each Custody Division facility (including TTCF) shall participate in a Division-wide inmate count. This count is intended to provide an accurate total of all Custody Division inmates. Refer to CDM 5-05/030.00, “Division Count Procedures”.

Per Division policy, all areas shall "lock down" and conduct a physical "body" count. All areas shall remain "locked down" with no movement of inmates until completion of the count.

Immediately following completion of the count, the Tower I Transfer Center shall be responsible for notifying the Inmate Reception Center watch deputy of the 0300 hours count for TTCF.

Count Notification

On every shift, once the count has been completed and verified, the module officer shall e-mail the module count to the designated Transfer Center. The Tower I custody

assistant shall verify the count for the entire Facility. Once the count has been verified and is accurate, the Tower I Transfer Center custody assistant shall e-mail the watch commander, and the supervising line deputy at the Facility Control.

The Facility Control supervising line deputy shall ensure the count is recorded on the Daily Count Sheet and logged in the Facility Log.

A physical body count shall be conducted at the beginning of AM and PM shift. The "Purge" shall be compared with the physical body count and all discrepancies shall be corrected by the shift conducting the count. If the module officer is unable to correct a discrepancy in a timely manner, the immediate line supervisor shall be notified.

NOTE:            Inmates should never assist in any inmate count procedures.

Wristband/ Door Sign Count

A daily wristband or door sign count shall be conducted at the beginning of EM shift. When conducting this count, wristbands and door signs shall be compared to facility records or Purge, to verify inmate names and booking numbers. Wristbands shall be examined for legibility, proper fit, and for signs of fraying or tampering by touching and tugging on the wristband. If the wristband has been tampered with, personnel shall order a new one from the Transfer Center and shall be replaced immediately. Due to the classification (High Observation Housing) of TTCF inmates, Deputy personnel shall visually examine each inmate’s door sign to ensure the inmate is housed accordingly. While verifying inmate information on door signs, deputy personnel shall visually inspect each inmate's entire body (not solely observing a portion of an inmate's body through a window or row of bunks).

NOTE:   At no time shall personnel attempt to open the cell door of a hostile/aggressive inmate without a supervisor present. Personnel shall adhere to policies delineated in Custody Division Manual (CDM) section 7-02/020.00, “Handling insubordinate, Recalcitrant, Hostile, or Aggressive Inmates”.

Inmate Workers

A log in duplicate form shall be prepared by Prisoner Personnel Office (PPO) personnel indicating inmates who have met the minimum criteria to qualify as an inmate worker. This log shall be delivered to the inmate worker housing unit. Custody personnel from each floor shall respond to the inmate worker housing location to pick up the log and account for the inmates for their shift. The log shall include the inmate worker's name, booking number, housing assignment, work assignment location, and the time each inmate leaves and returns to their assigned