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ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
DIRECTOR'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM
| To: |
Distribution |
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| From: |
Dora Schriro, Director |
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| Date: |
December 26, 2006 |
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| Subject: |
Director’s Instruction # 254,
Inmate Housing Assignment Process |
Purpose:
Provide protocol to guide inmate housing assignments yielding the highest
degree of safety possible when housing inmates in cells or dormitories.
Procedures:
Wardens, Deputy Wardens and Contract Bed Monitors shall ensure all cell and
dormitory housing assignments comply in full with this Instruction whenever
assigning inmates to housing for any duration. The basis for making housing
assignment decisions are Housing Assignment Principles and Additional Double
Cell Placement Factors. This Instruction provides guidance on the use of both
sets of factors.
A. Housing Assignment Principles
The assigned Custody Level (minimum, medium, close and maximum) and the
assigned Internal Risk Level (1-5) are the primary criteria for all temporary
and permanent, rated or non-rated housing and holding areas for any duration.
At no time shall minimum custody prisoners be housed
with close or maximum custody prisoners.
In general, minimum and medium custody inmates
are housed in congregate settings such as dormitories and tents
and not in cells.
In general, close custody prisoners are doubled celled
but only with other close custody prisoners. If there are no
other beds available, a medium custody inmate may be housed in
the same cell as a close custody inmate when their institutional
risk scores are the same.
At all times all maximum custody and/or IR-5
inmates are single celled.
B. Dormitory Assignments
Generally, inmates shall be housed in dormitories with
inmates of the same custody level (minimum with minimum, medium
with medium, etc.). As warranted minimum and medium custody
inmates only may be housed in the same dormitory if their
institutional risk scores are compatible.
Any housing area that is not a cell environment shall use the
dormitory assignment criteria to make housing placement
decisions.
C. Additional Double Cell Placement Factors
In addition to the Housing Assignment Principles, staff shall consider only
those factors listed below when placing an inmate in a cell with another inmate.
Any of these factors indicating unusual or exceptional circumstances shall be
considered to ensure the pairing of cellmates provides a safe environment for
each inmate insofar as can be reasonably determined based on the information
available at the time of the placement.
1. Length and nature of criminal offense history
2. Length of sentence and amount of time already served
3. Prison disciplinary history
4. Institutional physical and/or verbal assault history
5. STG or related yard interpersonal information
6. Physical/mental abnormalities/ADA considerations
7. Compliance with the Corrections Plan
8. Height and weight
9. Age
D. Making the Housing Assignment:
Housing assignments shall be made under the direction of a
Correctional Officer IV in consultation with the unit’s Chief of
Security. After-hour assignments shall be made by the on-duty
shift commander and shall be reviewed by the Deputy Warden or
Duty Officer the next calendar day.
E. Exceptions:
Exceptions to the cell housing criteria shall not ordinarily be considered.
Only under the most exigent of circumstances may the unit’s Deputy Warden and
the complex’s Warden consider an exception.
All instances of exception shall be thoroughly documented by
the unit’s Deputy Warden or Duty Officer via memorandum no later
than the next calendar day and will illustrate the alternatives
considered to achieve compliance with this Instruction.
The exception will be reviewed by the Warden within one
workday of the cell assignment.
The Deputy Warden shall ensure the cell assignment exception
will be brought into compliance with this Instruction as soon as
prison conditions permit.
Deputy Wardens, Deputy Wardens of Operations, and Wardens are
accountable for the safety of exception decisions.
F. Temporary Holding Enclosures
Temporary Holding Enclosures shall never be occupied by more than one inmate.
Definitions
Custody level: Refers to the public risk classification of inmates. Custody
levels are maximum, close, medium, and minimum.
Internal Risk: Refers to the risk classification of inmates within the
institutional setting. Internal Risk levels are 1 (minimum) through 5 (maximum).
Implementation
Wardens are responsible for administration of this Instruction.
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