Emergency Plans and Procedures
Course
Correctional
Services
Unit II
Safety
Essential
Question
How should
personnel
response to
emergencies in
correctional
facilities?
TEKS
§130.297(c)
(10)(C)
Prior Student
Learning
Correctional
Policy
Estimated Time
3 to 5 hours
Rationale
Emergencies of some type will occur in a correctional facility. It is
important that plans for handling different types of emergencies are
established in order to save lives and limit property damage.
Objectives
The students will be able to:
1. List the types of emergencies that may occur in a correctional
facility.
2. Identify the top priorities that an emergency plan must address.
3. Create emergency plans for prison layouts created by other
students.
4. Critique the emergency plans created by other students.
Engage
Have the students imagine that they are the supervisors of a correctional
facility. Then use the following scenarios and questions for a class
discussion:
 An inmate takes another inmate hostage in a cell. How are you
going to handle this?
 There is a tornado on a path toward your facility. What are you
going to do?
 A fire breaks out in part of the facility. What will you do to protect
lives and property?
Use the Discussion Rubric for assessment.
Key Points
I.
Emergency Plans
A. Occasionally emergencies occur in correctional facilities
B. The management and staff of the facility must have plans
already established for the various types of potential
emergencies
II.
Types of Emergencies
A. The following situations call for an emergency response
1. Hostage taking
2. Weather
3. Riots
4. Escape
5. Fire
6. Chemical spills
7. Bomb threats
8. Power failures
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9. Lockdowns
10. Inmate with a weapon
III.
Tactical Priorities
A. The following tactical priorities (in order of importance) should
be considered while deciding how to respond to an emergency:
1. Safety of personnel, the public, and the offenders
2. Stabilizing and containing the incident
3. Removing the endangered persons and getting treatment
for the injured
4. Limiting expenses and damage to property
IV. Characteristics of an Effective Emergency Plan
A. The following characteristics are essential for an effective
correctional emergency preparedness system:
1. Practical – is the plan useful?
2. Simple – is the plan easy to understand?
3. Corrections specific – will the plan actually work in a
correctional facility?
4. Generic – can the plan be applied to more than one
correctional facility?
5. Policy-based – is the plan consistent with already
established policies in the institution?
6. A true system – is each part of the plan compatible with the
other parts of the plan?
7. User-friendly – is the plan easy to follow?
8. Checklist driven – does the plan provide a list of the
necessary actions for the staff to follow, complete, and
check off instead of the staff having to rely on memory?
9. Agency wide – is the plan (for departments with more than
one facility) consistent with the emergency plans at its
other facilities?
10. Tailored to each facility – does the plan take into
consideration the unique features of the different facilities
and is the plan adaptable?
11. Detailed – does the plan explain each step exactly?
12. Auditable – is the plan open for inspection?
13. Field tested – can the plan be tested (if possible)?
V.
Obstacles to Emergency Plans and Procedures
A. The following could hinder the effective implementation of
emergency plans:
1. Poor communication
2. Little or no training
3. Poor leadership or chain of command during the incident
4. Insubordinate employees
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5. No sense of urgency
VI. The Role of Leadership
A. Good leadership is critical to implementing emergency plans
and procedures
B. Leaders are judged based on the outcome of the emergency
C. Leaders must set the tone for the response
D. Important qualities of leadership during a crisis
1. Integrity
2. Decisiveness
3. Calm
4. Tenacity
5. Patience/maturity
6. Physical endurance
7. Mental flexibility and creativity
8. Tolerance for ambiguity
9. Supportive of the staff
10. Communication skills
11. Compassion
12. Analytical thinking
13. Self confidence
14. Open-mindedness
E. Some ongoing challenges to leadership during a crisis
1. Constant criticism
2. Pressure to go with a suggestion
3. Egos
4. Isolation
VII. Prevention
A. Correctional officers can prevent inmate-caused emergencies by
observing the inmates behaviors
B. Training for an emergency plan can include teaching the staff to
watch for potentially problematic inmate behaviors which will
reduce the need for the plan to be implemented unnecessarily
C. Common inmate behaviors that are potentially
problematic/violent include
1. Hoarding food or canteen goods
2. Refusing to go to recreation
3. Wearing extra clothing at recreation
4. Warning well-liked staff not to come to work
5. Sending personal items out of the institution
6. An increase of
a) Requests for protective custody
b) Racial grouping
c) Sick calls and infirmary admission attempts
7. A decrease of
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a) Staff/inmate interaction
b) Visiting among inmates
8. A sharp increase or decrease of
a) The number of inmate grievances
b) The noise level in the institution
D. Administration-controlled conditions that can contribute to riots
and/or inmate uprisings include
1. Overcrowding
2. Understaffing
3. Decreased access to inmate programs
4. Poor labor management relations/poor staff morale
5. Failures in the inmate disciplinary process
6. Housing large numbers of maximum security inmates in a
minimum or maximum security facility
7. Lack of interaction and communication between the
administration and frontline staff
VIII. Preparation
A. Here are some preparatory actions for emergencies that might
be known about in advance (i.e. dangerous weather)
1. Store sufficient water and food before a hurricane
2. Designate an evacuation area for protection from a tornado
3. Call in extra staff for assistance
4. Identify inmates who can help lead other inmates to safety
5. Make sure there is an extra set of keys available to the
staff
6. Identify the fire emergency exit points for all of the areas of
the facility
7. Install emergency lights strategically to provide light during
power outages
8. Install an effective communication system that can project
directions to the staff and the inmates
IX. Emergency Response Teams
A. Correctional facilities often have teams that are specially trained
to respond to emergencies such as a
1. Tactical team – trained to use sub-lethal and lethal force
2. Hostage negotiation team – trained to talk hostage-takers
into releasing hostages
3. Crisis intervention team – trained to debrief employees,
and provide counseling and support for them or their
families
B. An emergency plan should include when these teams are called
for help
Activities
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1.
Emergency Plans and Procedures Exam Review. Have students
complete the Emergency Plans and Procedures Exam Review. Use
the Emergency Plans and Procedures Exam Review Key for
assessment.
2.
Prison Emergency Plans. Have the students create and draw the
floor plan of a prison. When the students are finished, have them
trade their layouts with another student. Then assign various
emergencies to the students and have them create an emergency
plan for the layout received during the trade (Note: the student do not
have to develop the exact details of the plan; for instance, if the
emergency is a hostage situation the plan needs to address how to
handle the tactical priorities such as calling the hostage negotiation
team). Each emergency plan should include a checklist, the warnings
signs, and the anticipatory preparation if applicable.
After the emergency plans are complete, have the students trade
again (with someone who is not the original creator of the layout).
Then have the students audit the emergency plans (alternatively,
each student may present his or her plans to the class and the class
may complete the audit). After the plans are audited, the authors of
the emergency plans may make changes as necessary. Use the
Individual Work Rubric, the Discussion Rubric, and the Presentation
Rubric as needed for assessment.
Assessments
Emergency Plans and Procedures Exam and Key
Emergency Plans and Procedures Exam Review and Key
Discussion Rubric
Individual Work Rubric
Presentation Rubric
Materials
Emergency Plans and Procedures computer-based presentation
Resources
Texas Department of Criminal Justice Correctional Institutions Division
Management Operations
US Department of Justice National Institute of Corrections, A Guide to
Preparing for and Responding to Jail Emergencies
http://static.nicic.gov/Library/023494.pdf
Accommodations for Learning Differences
For reinforcement, have students complete a self-audit of their emergency
plans (which is on pages 41–51 of the US Department of Justice National
Institute of Corrections: A Guide to Preparing for and Responding to Jail
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Emergencies http://static.nicic.gov/Library/023494.pdf. Use the Individual
Work Rubric for assessment.
For enrichment, have the students read the four case studies starting on
page 155 of A Guide to Preparing for Responding to Jail Emergencies
manual, http://static.nicic.gov/Library/023494.pdf. Have the students list
the lessons learned from the incidents. A list of lessons is provided at the
end of each case study. Use these and the students’ answers for a class
discussion. Use the Discussion Rubric for assessment.
State Education Standards
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career and Technical Education
§130.297. Correctional Services (One to Two Credits).
(10) The student applies technical skill procedures of correctional
staff to effectively manage day-to-day operations of
correctional facilities. The student is expected to:
(C)
develop emergency plans and procedures for
correctional facilities;
College and Career Readiness Standards
Cross-Disciplinary Standards
I. Key Cognitive Skills
C. Problem solving
1. Analyze a situation to identify a problem to be solved.
2. Develop and apply multiple strategies to solve a problem.
3. Collect evidence and data systematically and directly relate
to solving a problem.
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Name________________________________ Date__________________________
Emergency Plans and Procedures Exam Review
List the situations discussed that would require an emergency response.
1. ________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________________
7. ________________________________________________________________
8. ________________________________________________________________
9. ________________________________________________________________
10. ________________________________________________________________
Rank the top tactical priorities in order from most to least important.
11. ________________________________________________________________
12. ________________________________________________________________
13. ________________________________________________________________
14. ________________________________________________________________
For questions 15−27, list the characteristic of an effective emergency plan that aligns
with the question.
Can the plan be applied to more than one correctional facility?
15. ________________________________________________________________
Is the plan easy to understand?
16. ________________________________________________________________
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Is the plan useful?
17. ________________________________________________________________
Will the plan actually work in a correctional facility?
18. ________________________________________________________________
Is the plan easy to follow?
19. ________________________________________________________________
Is each part of the plan compatible with the other parts of the plan?
20. ________________________________________________________________
Is the plan consistent with already established policies in the institution?
21. ________________________________________________________________
Does the plan provide a list of the necessary actions for the staff to follow, complete, and
check off instead of the staff having to rely on memory?
22. ________________________________________________________________
Is the plan open for inspection?
23. ________________________________________________________________
Does the plan take into consideration the unique features of the different facilities and is the
plan adaptable?
24. ________________________________________________________________
Is the plan (for departments with more than one facility) consistent with the emergency plans
at its other facilities?
25. ________________________________________________________________
Can the plan be tested?
26. ________________________________________________________________
Does the plan explain each step exactly?
27. ________________________________________________________________
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List the obstacles to leadership.
28. ________________________________________________________________
29. ________________________________________________________________
30. ________________________________________________________________
31. ________________________________________________________________
32. ________________________________________________________________
What is critical to implementing emergency plans and procedures?
33. ________________________________________________________________
Emergency response leaders are judged based on what?
34. ________________________________________________________________
What are leaders responsible for setting?
35. ________________________________________________________________
List at least three qualities of a good leader during a crisis.
36. ________________________________________________________________
37. ________________________________________________________________
38. ________________________________________________________________
What are some of the ongoing challenges a leader will face during an emergency?
39. ________________________________________________________________
40. ________________________________________________________________
41. ________________________________________________________________
42. ________________________________________________________________
List at least two inmate behaviors that indicate impending violence.
43. ________________________________________________________________
44. ________________________________________________________________
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List at least two administration-controlled conditions that could contribute to inmate
riots/uprisings.
45. ________________________________________________________________
46. ________________________________________________________________
Which kind of emergency could be managed with the following preparatory actions?
 Storing sufficient water and food
 Designating an evacuation area to go to for cover
 Calling in extra staff to help
47. ________________________________________________________________
Which emergency response team is trained to debrief employees and provide counseling
and support for employees or their families?
48. ________________________________________________________________
Which emergency response team is trained to use sub-lethal and lethal force?
49. ________________________________________________________________
Which emergency response team is trained to talk hostage-takers into letting the hostages
go?
50. ________________________________________________________________
10
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Emergency Plans and Procedures Exam Review Key
1. Hostage-taking
2. Weather
3. Riot
4. Escape
5. Fire
6. Chemical spill
7. Bomb threat
8. Power failure
9. Lockdown
10. Inmate with a weapon
11. Safety of personnel, the public, and offenders
12. Stabilizing and containing the incident
13. Removing the endangered persons and getting treatment for the injured
14. Limiting expenses and damage to property
15. Generic
16. Simple
17. Practical
18. Simple
19. User-friendly
20. True system
21. Policy-based
22. Checklist driven
23. Auditable
24. Tailored to each facility
25. Agency wide
26. Field tested
27. Detailed
28. Poor communication
29. Little or no training
30. Poor leadership or chain of command during the incident
31. Insubordinate employees
32. No sense of urgency
33. Good leadership
34. The outcome of the emergency
35. The tone when responding to an emergency
36. -38. Possible answers: integrity, decisiveness, calm, tenacity, patience and maturity,
physical endurance, mental flexibility and creativity, tolerance for ambiguity, support
for staff, communication skills, compassion, analytical thinking, self-confidence, openmindedness
39. Constant criticism
40. Pressure to go with a suggestion
41. Egos
42. Isolation
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43. -44. Possible answers: hoarding food or canteen goods; refusing to go to recreation;
wearing extra clothing at recreation; warning well-liked staff not to come to work;
sending personal items out of the institution; an increase of requests for protective
custody, racial grouping and/or sick calls and infirmary admission attempts; a
decrease of staff/inmate interaction and/or visiting among inmates; a sharp increase
or decrease of the number of inmate grievances and/or the noise level in the
institution
45. -46. Possible answers: overcrowding; understaffing; decreased access to inmate
programs; poor labor management relations/poor staff morale; failures in the inmate
disciplinary process; housing large numbers of maximum security inmates in a
minimum- or maximum-security facility; lack of interaction and communication
between the administration and the frontline staff
47. Bad weather
48. Crisis intervention team
49. Tactical team
50. Hostage negotiation team
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Name________________________________ Date__________________________
Emergency Plans and Procedures Exam
1. _____ What type of situation would not need an emergency response?
A. Hostage-taking
B. Weather
C. Inmate resisting a search
D. Chemical Spill
Rank the most important tactical priorities in order from greatest to least.
2. _____ First priority
A. Stabilize and contain the incident
3. _____ Second priority
B. Limit expenses and damage to
property
C. Safety of personnel, the public, and
offenders
D. Remove endangered persons and
get treatment for the injured
4. _____ Third priority
5. _____ Fourth priority
Match the characteristic with the appropriate question.
6. _____ Is the plan easy to follow?
7. _____ Can the plan be tested?
8. _____ Is the plan consistent with already established policies in the institution?
9. _____ Is the plan useful?
10. _____ Does the plan take into consideration the unique features of the different
facilities and is the plan adaptable?
11. _____ Will the plan actually work in a correctional facility?
12. _____ Is the plan (for departments with more than one facility) consistent with the
emergency plans at its other facilities?
13. _____ Can the plan be applied to more than one correctional facility?
14. _____ Is each part of the plan compatible with the other parts of the plan?
15. _____ Is the plan easy to understand?
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16. _____ Does the plan explain each step exactly?
17. _____ Does the plan provide a list of the necessary actions for the staff to follow,
complete, and check off instead of the staff having to rely on memory?
18. _____ Is the plan open for inspection?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Practical
Simple
Corrections specific
Generic
Policy-based
True System
User-friendly
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
Checklist driven
Agency wide
Tailored to Each Facility
Detailed
Auditable
Field Tested
19. _____ Which of the following are obstacles to the effective implementation of emergency
plans?
I.
Emergency plans not posted in supervisor’s office
II. Poor communication
III. No public announcement system in the facility
IV. Little or no training
V. Lack of funds
VI. Poor leadership or chain of command during the incident
VII. Insubordinate employees
VIII. No sense of urgency
A.
B.
C.
D.
I-V
I, III, V, VIII
II, III, V-VIII
II, IV, VI, VII, VIII
20. _____ What is critical to implementing emergency plans and procedures?
A. Good leadership
B. Good vision
C. Good discussions
D. Employees with impeccable service records
21. _____ Leaders are judged based on the outcome of the emergency.
A. True
B. False
22. _____ Leaders are not responsible for setting the tone in responding to an emergency.
A. True
B. False
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23. _____ What would not be an important quality of a leader during a crisis?
A. Integrity
B. Impatience
C. Decisiveness
D. Communication Skills
E. All of the above
24. _____ What are some of the ongoing challenges a leader will face during the incident?
A. Constant criticism
B. Pressure
C. Egos
D. Isolation
E. All of the above
25. _____ What could be pending when inmates are hoarding food or canteen goods,
refusing to go to recreation, and increasing requests for protective custody?
A. An anticipated sporting event
B. Abuse by correctional officers of inmates
C. Violence
D. Bad weather
E. None of the above
26. _____ Undercrowding is a condition that could contribute to a riot or inmate uprising.
A. True
B. False
27. _____ What type of emergency can be anticipated and prepared for?
A. An anticipated sporting event
B. Abuse by correctional officers of inmates
C. Violence
D. Bad weather
E. None of the above
28. _____ Which emergency response team is trained to debrief employees and provide
counseling and support for them or their families?
A. Tactical team
B. Hostage negotiation team
C. Crisis intervention team
15
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29. _____ Which emergency response team is trained to use sub-lethal and lethal force?
A. Tactical team
B. Hostage negotiation team
C. Crisis intervention team
30. _____ Which emergency response team is trained to talk hostage-takers into letting the
hostages go?
A. Tactical team
B. Hostage negotiation team
C. Crisis intervention team
16
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Emergency Plans and Procedures Exam Key
1. C
2. C
3. A
4. D
5. B
6. G
7. M
8. E
9. A
10. J
11. C
12. I
13. D
14. F
15. B
16. K
17. H
18. L
19. D
20. A
21. A
22. B
23. B
24. E
25. C
26. B
27. D
28. C
29. A
30. B
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Name_______________________________________
Date_______________________________
Discussion Rubric
Objectives
4 pts.
Excellent
3 pts.
Good
2 pts. Needs Some
Improvement
1 pt. Needs Much
Improvement
N/A
Pts.
Participates in group discussion
Encourages others to join the
conversation
Keeps the discussion progressing
to achieve goals
Shares thoughts actively while
offering helpful recommendations to
others
Gives credit to others for their ideas
Respects the opinions of others
Involves others by asking questions
or requesting input
Expresses thoughts and ideas
clearly and effectively
Total Points (32 pts.)
Comments:
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Name______________________________________
Date_______________________________________
Individual Work Rubric
4 pts.
Excellent
Objectives
3 pts.
Good
2 pts. Needs Some
Improvement
1 pt. Needs Much
Improvement
N/A
Pts.
Follows directions
Student completed the work as directed,
following the directions given, in order and to the
level of quality indicated
Time management
Student used time wisely and remained on task
100% of the time
Organization
Student kept notes and materials in a neat,
legible, and organized manner. Information was
readily retrieved
Evidence of learning
Student documented information in his or her
own words and can accurately answer questions
related to the information retrieved
*Research/Gathering information (if relevant)
Student used a variety of methods and sources
to gather information. Student took notes while
gathering information
Total Points (20 pts.)
Comments:
19
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Name:____________________________________
Date:_____________________________
Presentation Rubric
4 pts.
Excellent
Objectives
3 pts.
Good
2 pts. Needs Some
Improvement
1 pt. Needs Much
Improvement
N/A
Pts.
Topic/Content
 Topic discussed completely and in-depth
 Includes properly cited sources (if used)
Creativity/Neatness
 Integrates a variety of multimedia effects to
create a professional presentation (transition
and graphics) or appropriate visual aid used
 Title slide, table of contents, bibliography are
included, using acceptable format
Mechanics
 Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and
capitalization are correct
 Image and font size are legible to the entire
audience
Oral Presentation
 Communicates with enthusiasm and eye
contact
 Voice delivery and projection are dynamic
and audible
Audience Interaction
 Presentation holds audience’s attention and
relates a clear message
 Clearly and effectively communicates the
content throughout the presentation
Total Points (20 pts.)
Comments:
20
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