Gordon Graham
Category: Corrections
Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Today, I’d like to talk to my corrections friends about best practices for safety checks.
Checks and balances will ensure your inmate population is safe and secure and everyone in the facility is protected.
When an inmate first arrives at your facility, the intake process classifies the inmate according to risk. This establishes the inmate’s supervision level, which, in addition to applicable laws and regulations, determines the frequency of safety checks.
Inmate safety checks must be completed regularly by correctional staff. But what exactly is regularly? Depending on your local laws and policies, it’s likely between 30- and 60-minute intervals. But while safety checks should be regular, you don’t want them predictable. When inmates know exactly when staff will make their rounds, that’s a recipe for trouble.
During safety checks, at a minimum, officers should personally observe each inmate. Sure, you can monitor inmates using your facility’s surveillance system, but a proper safety check requires direct visual observation.
When I say “observation,” I mean being close enough to an inmate to assess their physical condition. Officers need to see the inmate’s body and watch the rise and fall of their chest to make sure they’re breathing.
Oh, and then there’s the documentation piece. Remember folks, if a safety check isn’t documented, it didn’t happen. Records should include the actual time the check was performed as well as its location. Remember to include the cell, module, or dormitory number. And don’t forget to include important information such as the officer’s initials or employee identification number.
For supervisors, let’s not forget about staff accountability. Staff member documentation should include a weekly supervisor or facility manager review. Safety check reviews can flag patterns of inconsistent documentation or failure to complete safety checks in a timely manner. These checks and balances will ensure your inmate population is safe and secure and everyone in the facility is protected.
And that’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Until next time, Gordon Graham signing off.
