Security and Control in a Correctional Facility
Course
Correctional
Services
Unit V
Correctional
Policy
Essential
Question
What are things
correctional
officers have to
know and do to
maintain a safe
prison facility?
TEKS
§130.297(c)
(6)(D)
(9)(A)(B)(D)(E)
(10)(A)(B)(C)
Prior Student
Learning
Any prior
knowledge
about
corrections
Estimated Time
1 to 2 hours
Rationale
Every correctional unit has protocols and policies in place to maintain the
security of the facility and handle emergency situations. It is important for
correctional officers to know these things for their safety and the safety of the
other officers and inmates.
Objectives
The student will be able to:
1. List the proper protocol for maintaining security and dealing with
security breaches in a prison
2. Identify areas that should be inspected
3. Demonstrate how to properly search these areas
4. Develop a prison policy they would use in their own prison
5. Critique other students’ prison policies
6. Apply concepts learned in this lesson to a prison hostage situation
Engage
Imagine you are a warden at a prison. Write a policy that mandates security
protocol at your prison. Threats to any prison for you to consider include:
items smuggled in and out of the facility, hostage situations, inmates
attempting to escape and knowing when one already has escaped, routine
things that can be done to prevent security breaches.
Everyone will share his or her policy with the class. We will take what the
class agrees are strong points from each policy and combine them into one
class policy. We will then see how this policy compares to a real prison’s
policy. Use the Presentation Rubric and the Writing Rubric for assessment.
Key Points
I.
External Controls are the correctional facility’s physical features that
make up its perimeter and support structures.
A. Hallways
B. Dining
C. Housing
D. Kitchen
E. Work
F. Recreation
G. Visiting (contact and non-contact)
H. Locking mechanisms
I. Pipe chases
J. Fire exits
K. Facility tools and equipment
L. Tower gates
M. Fences
1
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
N.
O.
P.
Q.
Walls
Lights
Detection systems
Catwalks/run-arounds
II.
Inspections Help Prevent
A. Hazards
1. Health
2. Fire
3. Safety
B. Assaults
C. Contraband concealment
D. Disturbances
E. Escapes
F. Security breaches
G. Facility Alterations
III.
Pedestrian and Vehicular Traffic
A. May only enter and leave at designated points
B. Should be located close to each other
C. Gates separate public access portions of the administration
D. All visitors and employees must
1. Pass through a main or pedestrian entrance or gatehouse
2. Be properly identified
3. Be processed into the secure portion of the facility
IV.
Hostage Policy
A. No hostage has any authority
B. No inmate will be released while holding someone hostage (i.e.,
visitor, employee, or another inmate)
C. Be a casual observer
D. Tunnels penetrating the perimeter are concerns
1. Secure them with grills
2. Use closed-circuit TV
3. Use motion detectors
4. Drain pipes must have a small diameter
V.
Lighting
A. Light the perimeter
B. Place interior lights to eliminate blind spots in the shadow of
buildings
C. Use high intensity, high mast lighting
D. Provides lighting level and coverage
E. Safer for staff
F. Reduces inmates’ ability to move at night
2
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
VI.
Outside-Assisted Escape Attempts
A. Watch for their predictable form
1. A visitor brings in a
a) Weapon
b) Disguise
c) Other form of contraband
B. Be aware of situations outside the perimeter
1. Helicopter
2. Firing at towers
VII.
Internal Controls
A. Staff must account for the inmates
B. Follow
1. Inmate discipline procedure
2. Security manual
3. Emergency procedures
C. Perform
1. Security inspections
2. Inmate counts
D. Control
1. Weapons/chemical agents
2. Keys and tools
E. Attend yearly training
F. Keep supervisors visible to help a facility stay well-managed
VIII.
Design Issues
A. Central Control
1. Lies outside of the secure perimeter
2. Lies away from direct inmate activity
3. Is the most secure location
4. Is completely invulnerable to inmate attack
5. Is the center of all communication
6. Is staffed 24 hours a day
7. Takes inmate counts
8. Issues and inventories keys
9. Coordinates internal and perimeter security networks
10. Monitors
a) Key traffic points
b) Fire alarms
c) Public address
d) Smoke and thermal detection
e) Radios and computers
f) Wall way and perimeter lighting
g) Other mechanical and electrical systems
IX.
Internal Movement
3
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
A. Control can be facilitated by
1. Cutoff fences
a) In the yard
b) At the ends of blind courtyards between buildings
2. Checkpoints
a) Staff stop inmates, search them, and check passes
b) Staff use fixed metal detection equipment
3. Closed-circuit cameras
X.
Entrances monitor and control inmate traffic using
A. Mirrors
B. Closed-Circuit Television
C. Location
D. External physical features that greatly affect the internal ones:
1. Windows
2. Doors
3. Stairwells
4. Elevators
XI.
Inmate Accountability
A. Involves
1. Movement control
2. Pass systems
3. Census checks
4. Record systems
B. Requires
1. A count each shift
2. Before and after typical working hours usually
3. After ANY mass movement
4. At bedtime
5. During the night (two or more)
C. Each inmate must actually be seen
XII.
Outcounts
A. Inmates must
1. Assemble in a general area
2. Be out when a count is done
B. Staff must
1. Submit inmates names and numbers to their immediate
supervisors
2. Call control center with numbers
C. Count officer must
1. Sign the count sheet
2. Know where every officer is at all times
XIII.
Inmate Movement
4
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
A. Staff
1. Verify
a) The inmates description as they board the vehicle
b) The count onboard each time the vehicle stops or starts
2. Use restraints
a) May vary based on inmate’s classification
3. Use a combination of pass systems
XIV.
Tools
A. Control
1. Tools must be accounted for at all times
2. Every item is considered contraband
3. Need a tool control officer
4. Inventory is checked daily
5. Tools are classified as
a) Class A tools (Extremely Dangerous)
b) Class B tools (Hazardous)
c) Class C tools (Non-Hazardous)
B. Storage
1. Shadow boards
2. Each tool has an identifying mark
3. Receipt for each tool an inmate is using
4. Special concerns
a) Class A tools must be locked in a secure room
b) Bolt cutters must be stored in the control room
XV.
Food Service Items
A. Do not use any food with alcoholic base
B. Store yeast, nutmeg, and sugar securely
C. Keep mace in a locked area or do not use
D. Keep Class A items locked on a shadow board in the room of use
XVI.
Hospital Items
A. Consider and store surgical tools as Class A
B. Keep bulk items in a vault
C. Available for emergencies only
XVII.
Searches and Contraband
A. Searches:
1. Frequent unannounced
2. Search
a) Inmates
b) Inmate property
c) Inmate quarters
d) Other areas of the facility
3. Help detect and prevent
5
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
a) Introduction of contraband
b) Missing or stolen property
c) Escapes and other disturbances
B. Contraband
1. Can be sold or traded
2. Used for
a) Aiding escape attempts
b) Destroying property
c) Endangering human life
3. Possessing it is against the institution’s rules
C. Requirements
1. The facility needs to have a written policy regarding searches
of facilities and inmates and contraband issues.
2. Staff should be well trained in search procedures.
XVIII. Inmate Searches
A. Officers during pat downs
1. Require inmates to
a) Remove hats
b) Unbutton coats or jackets
c) Empty all personal articles from pockets
2. Work from behind
3. Follow these steps
a) Run hands under the inmate’s shirt collar
b) Then down the upper part of each arm to the wrists
c) Along the undersides of arms to the armpits
d) Down from the shirt front to the belt
e) Run thumbs around the inside of the belt from front to back
f) Run hands down the front of legs to shoe tops
g) Then up the backside of legs
h) Sweep hands down the back from the shirt collar to the
waist
4. Examine all the subject’s articles
5. Avoid using unnecessary force
XIX.
Body Searches
A. Officer duties
1. Stand behind the inmate
2. Tell the inmate to
a) Remove all clothing, dentures, and prostheses
b) Move away from items removed
3. Search the clothing
4. Visually inspect the inmate’s entire body for contraband
5. Ask inmate to open the mouth then look inside
6. Lift arms to expose armpits
7. Lift each foot and expose the soles of the feet and toes
6
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
8. Spread the buttocks to ensure nothing has been concealed in
the crotch or rectum
a) Only inspect body cavities with reasonable belief the inmate
is carrying contraband
B. Perform only in a private area
XX.
Housing Unit Searches
A. Do without warning
B. Conduct with two officers
C. Search before being occupied by new inmates
D. Be careful of needles
E. Obvious hiding places:
1. Holes and cracks in wall, floor, and ceiling
2. Lighting and wall fixtures
3. Washbowl, toilet, and plumbing stacks
4. Shelves, drawers, and medicine cabinets and their contents
5. Bedclothes, pillows, mattresses, and blankets
6. Books, magazines, and newspapers
7. Hollow legs of beds and other metal furniture
8. Window bars, window frames, and overhead ventilators
9. Sliding doors and grooves
XXI.
Vehicle Searches
A. Search all vehicles and machinery when entering or leaving
B. Inspect all the passenger compartments
C. Use mirrors to inspect the undercarriage
D. Search the contents of commercial vehicles
XXII.
Visitation Searches
A. Search of visitors before entering
B. Use metal detectors
C. Search all packages
XXIII. Emergency Keys
A. Allows staff to rapidly access every part of the facility to respond to
a riot, fire, or other crisis situation
B. Appearance should have the same wear as other keys
XXIV. Restricted Keys
A. Laundry and clothing issue areas
B. Business office
C. Personnel office
D. The Commissary
E. Warehouses
F. Administration offices
G. Armory
7
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
H. Control center
XXV.
Key Handling
A. Do not leave keys in the lock
B. Never take entrance keys inside the facility
C. Never allow inmates contact with armory keys EVER
D. Never allow the grand master key in open circulation inside the
institution
XXVI. Security Inspections
A. Search all physical security features at pre-identified zones by a
specific staff member
B. Check for compromised windows, bars, locks, manhole covers,
and other security features
C. Follow maintenance procedures that confirm locks, windows,
doors, and other devices are fully operational
D. Document all of this
XXVII. Communications
A. Effective communication is key for officers to function
B. The equipment used for communication:
1. Radios
2. Tower intercoms
3. Personal body alarms
4. Closed-circuit television
XXVIII. Handling High Security Inmates
A. Held in special housing units
B. Use extra staff when the inmate is out of the cell
C. Tower officers must know who they are
XXIX. Special Supervision Units
A. These areas confine inmates who
1. Have demonstrated that they are extremely dangerous,
predatory, or violent
2. Cannot be held successfully or safely in the general population
of any regular institution.
B. Examples
1. Protective custody units
2. Witness security units
3. Death Row
XXX.
Summary
A. Every correctional unit has protocols and policies put in place to
maintain the security of the facility and handle emergency
situations.
8
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
B. It is important for a correctional officer to know these things for
their safety and the safety of the other officers and inmates.
Activities
1. Hostage Activity- 10 inmates take 5 guards and 10 employees hostage at
a local correctional facility. They are requesting that you have an armored
truck with a full tank of gas waiting outside in the yard for them to escape
and that you have a jet waiting at the local airport ready to take them to
Mexico so they can escape.
What would you do in this situation? Write your response on a piece of
paper and turn it in. Use the Writing Rubric for assessment.
2. Practice Cell Search and Inmate Search- Students will pair up and
practice an inmate search with contraband that has been hidden on an
inmate. Students will practice a mock cell search for contraband. Use the
Role Play Rubric for assessment.
Assessments
Security and Control Quiz and Key
Individual Work Rubric
Presentation Rubric
Role Play Rubric
Writing Rubric
Materials
Security and Control computer-based presentation
Small items that can be used as contraband
A room that can be simulated as a jail cell
Resources
Correctional Officer Resource Guide (3rd edition), American Correctional
Association
Accommodations for Learning Differences
For reinforcement, students explain why it would be dangerous not to have
these rules and policies in place. Use the Writing Rubric for assessment.
For enrichment, students design a prison with the policy the class put
together in the engagement section and what has been learned since then in
mind. Use the Individual Work Rubric for assessment.
State Education Standards
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career and Technical Education
§130.297. Correctional Services (One to Two Credits)
(6) The student recognizes constitutional laws and laws of correctional
9
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
systems. The student is expected to:
(D) use the appropriate techniques to manage crisis situations to
protect individuals and society;
(9) The student analyzes hostile situations and executes conflict
management strategies to take charge of problems that arise in correctional
settings. The student is expected to:
(A) review security post procedures in a correctional facility;
(B) explain the importance of a perimeter security system;
(D) complete steps involved in pre-event planning to respond to crisis
situations; and
(E) perform appropriate crisis management to protect individual and
societal rights.
(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:
(A) demonstrate knowledge of policies and procedures for inmate
supervision and discipline;
(B) demonstrate protocol designed to restrain individuals placed into
custody without violating personal rights or jeopardizing personal
safety;
(C) develop emergency plans and procedures for correctional
facilities;
College and Career Readiness Standards
Cross-disciplinary Standards
I. Key Cognitive Skills
A. Intellectual curiosity
2. Accept constructive criticism and revise personal views
when valid evidence warrants.
C. Problem solving
1. Analyze a situation to identify a problem to be solved.
2. Develop and apply multiple strategies to solve a problem.
E. Work habits
1. Work independently.
2. Work collaboratively.
Social Studies Standards
V. Effective Communication
A. Clear and coherent oral and written communication
1. Use appropriate oral communication techniques depending
on the context or nature of the interaction.
10
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
Name: _____________________________
Date: ______________________________
Security and Control Quiz
1. List two examples of external controls in a correctional facility.
A.
B.
2. Inspecting the external controls will help prevent what?
3. How does one secure tunnels that penetrate the perimeter of a correctional facility?
4. What plays a key role in internal controls of the facility?
5. List two of the internal controls.
A.
B.
6. Where does the central control need to be?
7. True/False: No inmate will be released if another inmate is holding someone hostage.
________.
8. What is the key function of central control?
9. How can internal movement be controlled?
10. What is an outcount?
11. What should be searched in a correctional facility?
12. True/False: Entrance Keys should be kept inside the facility. _________
11
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
Security and Control Quiz Key
1. Towers, gates, fences, lights, detection systems, walls, catwalks/run-arounds, hallways,
perimeter (outside of building), dining rooms/housing areas, recreation areas, work areas,
visiting areas, contact, non-contact, kitchen, locking mechanisms, pipe chases, fire exits,
facility tool and equipment, any area inmates have access
2. Disturbances, escapes, assaults, health hazards, breaches of security, safety hazards,
fire hazards, alterations of facility, or concealment of contraband
3. Secure these areas with grills, use closed circuit TV, use motion detectors, or drain pipes
must be small in diameter
4. Inmate Discipline plays a key role.
5. Security inspections, inmate counts, control of weapons and chemical agents, key and
tool control, or emergency procedures
6. Central Control needs to be outside of the secure perimeter, away from direct inmate
activity
7. True
8. It is the center of all communication and is staffed 24 hours a day.
9. Control can be facilitated by cutoff fences in the yard and at the ends of blind courtyards
between buildings; checkpoints with fixed metal detection equipment, where the staff stop
inmates, search them, and check passes; closed circuit cameras
10. These are where inmates must be out when a count is done
11. Inmates, visitation areas, visitors, cells, and vehicles
12. False
12
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
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:
13
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
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:
14
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
Name:____________________________________
Date:_____________________________
Role Play Rubric
Objectives
4 pts.
Excellent
3 pts.
Good
2 pts. Needs Some
Improvement
1 pt. Needs Much
Improvement
N/A
Pts.
Relates to the audience
Provides fluent rendition of the
scenario
All required content is included
Acts with feeling and expression
Varies intonation
Presents characters appropriately
Gives the scenario its full range
Breaches are easily identified
Total Points (32 pts.)
Comments:
15
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.
Name:____________________________________
Date:_____________________________
Writing Rubric
4 pts.
Excellent
Objectives
3 pts.
Good
2 pts. Needs Some
Improvement
1 pt. Needs Much
Improvement
N/A
Pts.
The writing has all required parts from
introduction to conclusion in smooth
transition.
The writing is interesting, supportive,
and complete.
The writing demonstrates that the
writer comprehends the writing
process.
Accurate spelling, grammar, and
punctuation
The content of paragraphs
emphasizes appropriate points.
The writer shows an understanding of
sentence structure, paragraphing, and
punctuation.
All sources and references are clearly
and accurately documented.
Total Points (28 pts.)
Comments:
16
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved.