Vocational Work Projects: Staffing Procedures for

Idaho
Department of
Correction

Standard
Operating
Procedure

Division of
Prisons

Institutional
Programs
and
Activities
Control Number:
611.02.01.002
Version:
3.4
Page Number:
1 of 5
Adopted:
11-23-2004
Reviewed:
5-18-2009

Title:
Vocational Work Projects: Staffing
Procedures for

This document was approved by Pam Sonnen, chief of the Division of
Prisons, on 5/18/09 (signature on file).
BOARD OF CORRECTION IDAPA RULE NUMBER 611
Business with Inmates and Labor of Inmates
POLICY STATEMENT NUMBER 611
Work Projects
POLICY DOCUMENT NUMBER 611
Work Projects
DEFINITIONS
Position Control Number (PCN): The method in which State employee positions are
authorized and monitored by the State Legislature.
Vocational Work Project: A public vocational work project performed by inmate work crews
for outside agencies in conjunction with a Human Resource Agreement (HRA).
Vocational Work Project Lieutenant: A Department employee assigned as a correctional
supervisor, responsible for managing the facility vocational work project section.
Vocational Work Project Manager: A Department employee, as assigned by the chief of
the Division of Prisons, responsible for overseeing statewide work projects and prison
industry enterprise (PIE) programs, to include fiscal accountability, budget development, and
facility adherence to requirements set forth within Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC)
work projects policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Vocational Work Project Staff: Correctional employees assigned to coordinate, supervise,
and monitor vocational work projects.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this standard operating procedure (SOP) is to establish standardized
procedures within the Division of Prisons for assigning and training vocational work project
staff.
Control Number:
611.02.01.002
Version:
3.4
Title:
Vocational Work Projects: Staffing
Procedures for
Page Number:
2 of 5

SCOPE
This SOP applies to all vocational work project staff in the Division of Prisons.
RESPONSIBILITY
Facility heads and the vocational work project manager are responsible for implementing
and following the procedures and practices provided herein.
Table of Contents
General Requirements ......................................................................................................... 2
1. Staff Development and Relief Factors ............................................................................ 2
2. Staffing Vocational Work Projects ................................................................................... 2
3. Vocational Work Project Staff Appointment and Assignment .......................................... 3
4. Vocational Work Project Staff Hours Worked Agreement ............................................... 3
5. Desirable Staff Attributes for Vocational Work Projects Positions ................................... 3
6. Managing Revenue-funded Positions ............................................................................. 4
7. Facility Security Rotation ................................................................................................ 4
8. Vocational Work Project Lieutenant ................................................................................ 4
9. Vocational Work Project Staff Uniforms and Appearance ............................................... 4
10. Vocational Work Project Staff Training ........................................................................... 4
References ........................................................................................................................... 5
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Staff Development and Relief Factors
It is essential that each facility develop staff members who are qualified to work in vocational
work projects. Facilities with vocational work projects will provide annual training in
accordance with this SOP. In addition to the vocational work project staff, the facility head
will ensure that selected security staff members assigned to the facility attends the training
for development purposes and to provide a relief factor. The number of facility-assigned
security staff should equal at least 30% of the total number of staff assigned to vocational
work projects. (See section 10 for further information regarding staff training.)
2. Staffing Vocational Work Projects
Vocational work projects may be staffed with revenue-funded positions or a combination of
general-funded and revenue-funded positions authorized under a facility’s vocational work
projects program cost account (PCA). Additional staff cannot be assigned to work in
vocational work project or supervise vocational work project crews without the approval of
the chief of the Division of Prisons.
Control Number:
611.02.01.002
Version:
3.4
Title:
Vocational Work Projects: Staffing
Procedures for
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3. Vocational Work Project Staff Appointment and Assignment
Vocational work project posts are exempt from the seniority bidding process and will be
appointed in accordance with SOP 216.02.01.002, Seniority and Staffing.
The facility head will appoint staff members to work in vocational work projects; however,
staff members will not be assigned to a specific crew and must be rotated periodically
throughout the year. The rotation can be accomplished by either rotating the correctional
officer (CO) to a different crew/vocational work project assignment, rotating different inmates
to the crew (must rotate 100% of the crew), or a combination of both. Rotations will occur
once every 180 days. When rotated, the staff member must not return to the prior
assignment or with the prior crew for at least one (1) month.
4. Vocational Work Project Staff Hours Worked Agreement
To accept a position in vocational work projects, staff members must sign an Hours Worked
Agreements.
5. Desirable Staff Attributes for Vocational Work Projects Positions
The facility head will assign staff members who work in the vocational work project program.
Some positions may require special skills, knowledge, and training. For example, staff
members applying for fire crew positions must pass a medical exam and the pack test. (The
pack test is a work capacity test for wildland firefighters that measures aerobic capacity,
muscular strength, and muscular endurance.) Fire crew supervisors may be required to be
on-call during the fire season.
The desirable attributes for staff members assigned to supervise vocational work project
crews include the following:
• Experience with direct supervision of inmates
• Good communication skills
• A good understanding of Department rehabilitative methods and programs
• The ability to maintain professional boundaries while fostering a positive working
relationship
• The ability to work independently
• The ability to establish positive relationships with stakeholders
• The ability to maintain a professional image
• Good decision-making and problem-solving skills
• The ability to remain calm in a crisis situation
• An understanding of good correctional practices
• Good leadership qualities
• Good ethical qualities
• A permanent status in current job title
Control Number:
611.02.01.002
Version:
3.4
Title:
Vocational Work Projects: Staffing
Procedures for
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Note: The facility head (or designee) may recommend exceptions for staff members who do
not hold permanent status in their current job position. The deputy chief of the Division of
Prisons must approve exceptions in writing.
6. Managing Revenue-funded Positions
The work project manager (or designee) is the approval authority to fill positions funded by
vocational work project revenues.
Staff members in revenue-funded positions are subject to reassignment when work crews
are idle. Affected employees may be moved into general-fund positions. The vocational
work project lieutenant will keep the facility head appraised of the status of vocational work
projects. The facility head will reassign the staff member to a funded position if such an
opening exists. If an opening does not exist, the facility head will contact the chief of the
Division of Prisons to explore other options for reassignment. When moved into a general or
other funded position, the staff member will be required to work in the area in which the
position control number (PCN) is assigned, such as security.
7. Facility Security Rotation
During each fiscal year, all staff members assigned to vocational work projects will be
assigned to a traditional security post within the facility for at least four consecutive weeks.
During this time, staff may also attend a CO refresher course that can be credited to the four
(4)-week period. This rotation can be accomplished during the off season. During this time,
the vocational work project lieutenant (or designee) will ensure that the staff members’ time
sheets are coded to a general-fund PCA.
8. Vocational Work Project Lieutenant
The facility head will recommend to the deputy chief of the Division of Prisons a supervisor
to serve as vocational work project lieutenant. The deputy chief of the Division of Prisons
and the vocational work project manager will appoint the vocational work project lieutenant.
9. Vocational Work Project Staff Uniforms and Appearance
Vocational work project staff will comply with SOP 122.02.01.002, Uniforms and Officer
Appearance.
While on fire assignments, COs will be issued and will wear standard U.S. Forest Service-
approved Nomex clothing.
10. Vocational Work Project Staff Training
The chief of the Division of Prisons (or designee) will approve standardized lesson plans to
train vocational work project staff. Before being assigned to a vocational work project, staff
will complete the following training:
• Medic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
• 40-hour CO refresher training.
Control Number:
611.02.01.002
Version:
3.4
Title:
Vocational Work Projects: Staffing
Procedures for
Page Number:
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Before being assigned as a fire fighter on a fire fighting crew, each staff member must
obtain a red card by:
• Attending S-190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior and S-130 Fire Fighter
Training (risk management), and
• Passing the pack test (see section 5).
Note: Additional training may be required for specialized vocational work projects.
The vocational work project lieutenant must ensure that vocational work project staff
members receive all required training and specialized vocational work project training. All
training shall be documented and recorded in the Training Administrative System (TAS) in
accordance with directive 118.06.01.001, Training. When specialized training is done, the
curriculum will be documented on or attached to the training form.
The vocational work project lieutenant will ensure that all vocational work project staff
members are trained before supervising a vocational work project crew.
The vocational work project manager will audit the training records to ensure that required
training is completed.
REFERENCES
Department Policy 104, Tobacco Free Environment
Department Policy 611, Work Projects
Directive 118.06.01.001, Training
Hours Worked Agreement
IDAPA 06.01.01, Rules of the Board of Correction, Section 104, Tobacco Free Environment
IDAPA 06.01.01, Rules of the Board of Correction, Section 607, Public Participation in
Program Activities
IDAPA 06.01.01, Rules of the Board of Correction, Section 611, Business with Inmates and
Labor of Inmates
Standard Operating Procedure 122.02.01.002, Uniforms and Officer Appearance
– End of Document –