Offender Placement Process

Idaho
Department of
Correction

Standard
Operating
Procedure

Dual
Divisions

Offender
Management
Control Number:
322.02.01.002
Version:
1.6
Page Number:
1 of 8
Adopted:
11-9-2009
Reviewed:
11-9-2009

Title:
Offender Placement Process

This document was approved by Jim Woolf, acting chief of the Division of
Prisons, and Kevin Kempf, chief of the Division of Community Corrections,
on 11/9/09 (signature on file).
BOARD OF CORRECTION IDAPA RULE NUMBER
None
POLICY STATEMENT NUMBER 322
Transportation of Inmates outside Institutions/Transfers
POLICY DOCUMENT NUMBER 322
Transportation of Inmates outside Institutions/Transfers
DEFINITIONS
Standardized Definitions List
None
PURPOSE
The purpose of this standard operating procedure (SOP) is to establish procedures for the
selection and placement of offenders within the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC)
correctional system.
SCOPE
This SOP applies to all IDOC correctional facilities and community work centers (CWC), in-
state IDOC-contracted correctional facilities (such as the Idaho Correctional Center [ICC]),
case managers, facility move coordinators, facility heads, and the Offender Placement
Group.
RESPONSIBILITY
Facility Heads
Facility heads (or designees) are responsible for:
• Implementing and ensuring staff members adhere to the guidelines, standards, and
procedures provided herein; and
• Developing field memorandums (as necessary) to fully implement this SOP.
Control Number:
322.02.01.002
Version:
1.6
Title:
Offender Placement Process
Page Number:
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Offender Placement Manager
The offender placement manager (or designee) is responsible for implementing and
ensuring the guidelines provided herein are followed by the Offender Placement Group.
Table of Contents
General Requirements ......................................................................................................... 2
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 2
2. In-house Facility Movement ............................................................................................ 2
3. Transfer Requirement Criteria ........................................................................................ 2
4. Fundamental Elements ................................................................................................... 3
Initiating: Roles and Responsibilities ......................................................................... 3
Validating: Roles and Responsibilities ...................................................................... 4
Collating: Roles and Responsibilities ........................................................................ 4
Facilitating: Roles and Responsibilities ..................................................................... 4
5. Prison Facilities Offender Placement Process ................................................................ 5
6. CWC Offender Placement Process ................................................................................ 6
References ........................................................................................................................... 8
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Introduction
The IDOC must move offenders efficiently to maintain institutional populations at safe levels
and provide treatment and education opportunities to offenders preparing them for
successful reintegration into the community. The offender placement process is a system
that involves all facilities and IDOC central office.
Education and treatment needs are determined by assessments and documented in the
Offender Management Plan (OMP), which is used to create an offender’s treatment
pathways—hereinafter referred to as pathways.
Placement is based on the offender’s classification/custody level, Offender Placement
Matrix requirements, pathways, and IDOC needs. Placement should be in the least
restrictive security environment without compromising the safety and security of the facility,
and the public. Those offenders who are closest to release will generally have priority for
placement.
2. In-house Facility Movement
Facility heads (or designees) must develop field memorandums that details the in-house
movement process used in their facilities.
3. Transfer Requirement Criteria
Transfer requirement criteria are the reasons for initiating offender placement. Offender
placement must fall into one (1) of the following transfer requirement criteria categories:
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• Case Plan Requirement – Placement request is based on the case plans and
treatment needs as describe in SOPs 607.26.01.004, Case Planning for Offenders,
and 607.26.01.014, Program Management for Inmates.
• Security Requirement – Placement request is based on a security need or
classification.
• Medical Requirement – Placement request is based on a medical/mental health
need or consideration
• Departmental Requirement – Placement request is based on a need to fill a vacant
bed or to facilitate efficient placement of offenders within the IDOC correctional
system.
4. Fundamental Elements
There are four (4) fundamental elements in the offender placement process:
• Initiating – The process to initiate an offender placement based on transfer
requirement criteria (see section 3).
• Validating – The review of all available data and information to ensure the offender
placement is appropriate from a security and medical perspective.
• Collating – The process to forecast available beds, the prioritization of offender
placement decisions, the prioritization of offender placement, and the creation of
‘travel orders’.
• Facilitating – The physical placement and transport of offenders from one (1)
location to another.
Initiating: Roles and Responsibilities
The following facility-based staff members are responsible for initiating the offender
placement process:
Case Manager
• Develops and manages pathways in accordance with SOPs 607.26.01.004, Case
Planning for Offenders, and 607.26.01.014, Program Management for Inmates.
• Ensures the classification is completed in accordance with SOP 303.02.01.001,
Classification: Inmate.
• When a placement is required to meet pathway goals, reviews the offender's
placement options based on the classification/custody level and the requirements
identified in the Offender Placement Matrix. If the offender's classification/custody
level prevents placement, ensures that the Classification Committee reviews the
offender's classification to consider an exception in accordance with SOP
303.02.01.001.
• Identifies suitable facilities. (If the offender cannot be placed to meet pathway
goals, the case manager will complete the pathway exception process in
accordance with SOPs 607.26.01.004 and 607.26.01.014.)
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Facility Head
The facility head (or designee) may initiate the placement of an offender based on risk
or other extenuating circumstances that adversely affect the safe and orderly operation
of the facility. Prior to placement, the facility head (or designee) will confirm the
placement with the receiving facility.
Security Manager
• Determines the need for an offender to be placed in another facility because of
security concerns;
• In conjunction with the case manager, determines if placement will have an
adverse effect on the offender’s pathway; and
• Confirms the proposed placement with the receiving facility.
Medical Personnel
Medical personnel determine, in consultation with the IDOC health authority, the need
for offender placement based on medical health considerations.
Clinicians
Clinicians determine, in consultation with the IDOC chief psychologist, the need for
offender placement based on mental health considerations.
Validating: Roles and Responsibilities
The facility move coordinator (at the sending facility/CWC) is responsible for validating
the offender placement process by:
• Checking to see if offenders meet the transfer requirement criteria (see section 3)
and the requirements identified in the Offender Placement Matrix;
• Coordinating offender placement out of the facility/CWC; and
• Reviewing the IDOC Requirement List provided by the Offender Placement Group
and within five (5) working days, notifying the Offender Placement Group of any
reasons why offenders should not be considered for placement. (See section 5 or
section 6, as applicable, for information regarding this process.)
Collating: Roles and Responsibilities
The Offender Placement Group collates offender placement information and manages
the placement of offenders statewide. The Offender Placement Group is responsible for:
• Forecasting vacancies in IDOC facilities and assigning replacements prior to a
vacancy;
• Monitoring county jail population census data;
• Noting trends and communicating concerns to the appropriate entity for immediate
action; and
• Creating and distributing ‘travel orders’ and Pending Transfer Lists.
Facilitating: Roles and Responsibilities
The Inmate Transport Group facilitates offender transports.
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5. Prison Facilities Offender Placement Process
When offender placement is between IDOC prison facilities, the following steps shall be
followed.
Functional Roles and
Responsibilities Step
Tasks
CIS steps are in bold
Initiator 1 Determine whether the offender meets the transfer
requirement criteria (see section 3 of this SOP).
Initiator 2 Complete an Offender Placement Request Form, and
submit it to facility move coordinator.
Facility Move
Coordinator
(at sending facility) 3
Validate the Offender Placement Request Form by doing
the following:
• Verify facility options for placement;
• Enter the Corrections Integrated System (CIS) and
review for holds, cautions, considerations, or
concerns; and
Note: If the offender has a VICTIM caution and is being
considered for placement at a work camp, contact the
IDOC victim services designee, to determine acceptable
placement locations.
• Ensure the offenders meet the requirements identified
in the Offender Placement Matrix.
Note: If a hold, caution, consideration, or concern should
have been documented in CIS and was not, document it.
Facility Move
Coordinator
(at sending facility) 4
If the offender:
• Meets placement requirements—approve the
Offender Placement Request Form, and email it to the
Offender Placement Group. Proceed to step 5.
• Does not meet placement requirements--send the
Offender Placement Request Form back to the staff
member who initiated the request; include an
explanation when returning the form explaining why
the offender does not meet the requirements; and
document the CIS with the applicable caution,
consideration, or concern. Do not proceed any
further; the process ends here.
Offender Placement
Group 5
• Review and collate the offender placement requests;
• Prioritize the requests;
• Create Pending Placement Lists in the Offender
Placement Group database; and
• Forward the Pending Placement Lists to all facility
move coordinators.
Facility Move
Coordinators 6 Distribute the Pending Placement Lists to the facility head
and facility head designated staff.
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Functional Roles and
Responsibilities Step
Tasks
CIS steps are in bold
Facility Head (or
designee) 7
Review the Pending Placement Lists, and decide whether
there are any offenders that should not be placed at your
facility, and if so, do the following:
• Contact the Offender Placement Group; and
• Document a TRANSPORT caution in the CIS. (The
Process ends here.)
Note: The facility head may decline to receive an offender
who otherwise meets the requirements identified in the
Offender Placement Matrix, based on risk or other
extenuating circumstances that would adversely affect the
safe and orderly operation of the facility.
Offender Placement
Group 8 Review the information and create lists of offenders
approved for placement.
Offender Placement
Group 9 Check for holds, cautions, considerations, and concerns
and adjust the list accordingly.
Offender Placement
Group 10
Create a list for placement into or out of county jails for jail
housing, jail backlog, and county jail housing status
offenders.
Offender Placement
Group 11
• Enter the CIS and create ‘travel orders’;
• Forward the ‘travel orders’ to all facility move
coordinators; and
• Contact the Inmate Transport Group, as necessary, to
communicate and coordinate offender transport.
Facility Move
Coordinators 12
Receive and distribute the ‘travel orders’ to designated
staff.
Note: This step is done to ensure all necessary preparation
steps are made to place and transport offenders.
Inmate Transport
Group 13
Transport offenders in accordance with SOP
322.02.01.001, Transports: Medical, Court, Family
Emergency, and State.
For further assistance with CIS, see your designated CIS super user.
6. CWC Offender Placement Process
The following process steps shall be used for the placement of offenders at IDOC CWCs.
Functional Roles and
Responsibilities Step
Tasks
CIS steps are in bold
Case Manager 1 Complete and print appendix 1, Community Work Center
Screening Form.
Case Manager 2 Discuss the form and process with the offender, and have
the offender sign the form.
Case Manager 3 Forward the completed form to the medical provider.
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Functional Roles and
Responsibilities Step
Tasks
CIS steps are in bold
Medical Provider 4
• Complete the medical screening section of the
Community Work Center Screening Form, and ensure
that the section is completely filled in and all
applicable boxes are correctly marked.
• Forward the form to the facility move coordinator.
Facility Move
Coordinator 5
Review the Community Work Center Screening Form for
completeness and validate whether the offender meets the
medical requirements and the requirements identified in the
Offender Placement Matrix.
Facility Move
Coordinator 6
If the offender:
• Meets placement requirements—send (scan or faxed)
the Community Work Center Screening Form to the
facility head (or designee). Proceed to step 7.
• Does not meet placement requirements--send the
Community Work Center Screening Form back to the
case manager; include an explanation when returning
the form explaining why the offender does not meet
the requirements; and document in the Corrections
Integrated System (CIS) a ‘no work center’
TRANSPORT caution and explain the reason. Do
not proceed any further; the process ends here.
Note: If the offender did not meet the requirements due to a
medical/mental health concern, state for an explanation or
reason ‘not medically cleared.’
Facility Head (or
designee) 7
• Review the Community Work Center Screening Form
for completeness;
• Validate whether the offender meets the requirements
identified in the Offender Placement Matrix.
• Verify facility options for placement; and
• Enter the CIS and review for holds, cautions,
considerations, or concerns.
Note: If the offender has a VICTIM caution and is being
considered for placement, contact the IDOC victim services
designee, to determine acceptable placement locations (if
any).
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322.02.01.002
Version:
1.6
Title:
Offender Placement Process
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Functional Roles and
Responsibilities Step
Tasks
CIS steps are in bold
Facility Head (or
designee) 8
If placement is:
• Approved or recommended—proceed to step 9.
• Not approved or recommended—write ‘not approved’
on the Community Work Center Screening Form;
include an explanation on the form explaining why the
offender is not being approved/recommended; send
an email to the case manager who initiated the
request; and document in the CIS a ‘no work
center’ TRANSPORT caution and explain the
reason offender not being
approved/recommended. Do not proceed any
further; the process ends here.
Facility Head (or
designee) 9 Prioritize and initiate placement by emailing the Offender
Placement Group.
For further assistance with CIS, see your designated CIS super user.
REFERENCES
Appendix 1, Community Reentry Center Screening Form
• Appendix 1 (Fill-in version)
Offender Placement Matrix
Offender Placement Request Form
Standard Operating Procedure 303.02.01.001, Classification Inmate
Standard Operating Procedure 322.02.01.001, Transports: Medical, Court, Family
Emergency, and State
Standard Operating Procedure 607.26.01.014, Program Management for Inmates
– End of Document –