Modification of the Offender Classification Plan

March 2002

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The Texas Department of Criminal Justice will be implementing new custody assignments for Institutional Division offenders. The new custody assignments will be available in the Unit Law Library via the Classification Plan upon implementation. Although most of the basic criteria is remaining the same, the following information will outline the substantial changes to policy.

Current

 

Proposed

Significant Policy Changes

MO

G1

General Population Level 1

Must be within 24 months of parole eligibility or discharge

MI

G2

General Population Level 2

If serving 50 years or more

*3G must have served 10 years flat

Non 3G must have served 5 years flat

MI

G3 (NEW)

General Population Level 3

50 year sentence or more who have not served the required 10 years for 3G and 5 years for non3G. Offenders may not be assigned to maintenance, SSI, clerk, back dock worker, or any job where the offender is allowed access to multiple areas of the unit, and these offenders may not be housed in a dormitory located outside the main building.


Offenders with an SPD removal code of

• NE, NA, or NS will not be assigned to a custody less restrictive than G3.

ME

G4

General Population Level 4

Offenders with an SPD of ES, SA, or HS will not be assigned to custody less restrictive than G4.

CC

G5

General Population Level 5

Those offenders with an ES, who had an escape from a secure TDCJ facility within the past 5 years will not be assigned to a custody less restrictive than G5.

 

* 3G offenses - murder, capital murder, indecency with a child, aggravated kidnapping, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated robbery, any offense with an affirmative finding of the use of a deadly weapon, and Health and Safety Code Chapter 481.134 (c), (d), (e), and (f).

 

SPD (Security Precaution Designator)

ES - Escape from secure adult correction facility within the last 10 years.

             • NE - escape designator removed by SPDRC, escape less than 10 years ago.

SA - Staff assault with serious injury within the last 10 years.

             • NA - staff assault designator removed by SPDRC, assault less than 10 years ago.

HS - History of taking a staff member hostage.

             • NS - Hostage designator removed by SPDRC.

 

The only offenders who will require reclassification at the time of the conversion will be those offenders with a computer recommendation of G3, who are assigned to a custody less restrictive than G3. All other custodies will automatically convert to the appropriate new level as indicated on the chart.


SECURITY PRECAUTION DESIGNATORS (SPD)

 

Administrative Directive -        AD-04.11 (Extraction from)

                                                    April 25, 2001

 

Authority:         Sections 494.002 and 498.002, Texas Government Code

                        Reference: American Correctional Association Standard 3-4282

 

Codes documented in an offender’s record that identifies him as a special management risk. The designators shall be used for offenders who have a history of escape, taking hostages, assaulting staff, or defeating restraint devices.

 

SPD DEFINITIONS:

 

•           ES        Escape Precaution - Offender who has a history of escape from a secure adult correctional facility. Escape defined as the intentional commission of an overt act that results in, or would result in, the unauthorized departure from any part of a facility, work assignment, or extended limits of the facility (climbing perimeter fence, obtaining access to unauthorized areas such as the roof, departing without authorization from a designated area such as a community work program)

 

•           HS       Hostage Precaution - Offender who has a history of taking any staff member hostage for any reason or cause. Hostage situation has occurred if a staff member has been restrained without consent, moved from one place to another, or confined (by force, intimidation, deception or other means) substantially interfering with his liberty.

 

•           SA        Staff Assault Precaution - Offender who has a history of serious staff assault. A serious staff assault has occurred in an offender intentionally strikes a staff member resulting in serious injury, as determined by unit/facility medical staff. Serious injury requires beyond first aid (e.g., sutures, a fracture, or hospitalization).

 

•           SR        Restraint Precaution Designator - Offender who has a history of defeating restraint devices (e.g., intentionally slipping out of handcuffs or leg irons) or defeating secure cells.

 

•           Staff Member: A TDCJ, county jail, Texas Youth Commission, any other state department of corrections, or Federal Bureau of Prisons employee, an employee working under contract with the TDCJ; or an approved volunteer.

 

•           Secure Adult Correctional Facility: A secure TDCJ-ID unit, transfer facility, State Jail facility, privately contracted or leased prison, pre-parole facility, intermediate sanction facility, federal facility, other state’s department of correction facility, county jail, or city jail, which houses adult offenders.

 

 


PROCEDURES:

 

I.          Placement of Security Precaution Designators (SPD)

 

A.SPD will be placed in the record of each offender found to have engaged in any one of the four activities.

 

             B.         Sociologists and the Unit Classification Committee (UCC) will be the deciding authorities for the placement of SPD.

 

                          1.          During the sociological interview, the Sociologist shall review the offender’s previous adult incarceration history to determine if the offender has engaged in any one of the four activities. Offenders found to have engaged in any such activity shall have a corresponding SPD placed in their record by the Sociologist.

 

                          2.          During all classification reviews, the UCC shall review the record of an offender to determine if the offender has engaged in any one of the four activities. Offenders found to have engaged in such activity shall have a corresponding SPD placed in their record by the UCC.

 

             C.         The Sociologist and the UCC shall strictly adhere to the definitions provided in this directive to determine if an SPD is necessary in the offender’s case. Security precaution designators are intended to identify only the most serious infractions.

 

             D.         If the Sociologist or the UCC find that cause exists for placement of an SPD in an offender’s record, they shall determine the appropriate designators. Combinations of SPDs are utilized only in extreme situations where the offender caused a security situation through multiple acts. (e.g., the offender defeated handcuffs and attacked a security officer causing serious injury).

 

             E.         The Warden or designee shall have the authority to place an SPD in an offender’s record, housing area, or on the offender’s cell door at any time the Warden or designee determines that a security risk exists. In these cases, the SPD review shall be held at the next available UCC hearing.

 

II.         Special Needs Status

 

An offender may have a special need (i.e., medical, geriatric, mental health, intellectual impairment) which requires placement in a special status in a specific facility. The management parameters associated with the status would prevail over the offender’s custody despite the application of an SPD code. When the special need is no longer applicable, the offender shall be returned to the management parameters associated with his custody.

 

III.        Offender Record Documentation

 

             A.         Once the Sociologist or UCC has determined cause to place an SPD in an offender’s record, the SPD shall be recorded in the following ways:

 

                          1.          Unit Classification Review (UC00) Screen 07: The Sociologist or Chief of Unit Classification shall ensure that the current institutional adjustment record screen (screen 07) of the UC00 computer record is updated to reflect the appropriate SPD.

 

                          2.          Committee Card/Travel Card: The Sociologist or Chief of Unit Classification shall ensure the SPD is recorded in the jacket of the offender’s committee/travel card. Additionally, a (bright colored) SPD jacket card (larger than one side of the travel card) shall be completed and attached to the inside of the travel card.

 

                          3.          The Chief of Unit Classification shall ensure the proper documentation of the results of all UCC hearings concerning SPDs (i.e, UCC hearing docket, offender file, travel card and unit countroom hall card).

 

                          4.          I-201: The Chief of Unit Classification shall notify the Administrative Segregation Supervisor of any offender assigned to Administrative Segregation requiring an SPD. The Administrative Segregation Supervisor shall ensure that the appropriate designator is recorded and highlighted at the top of the I-201 record of the offender.

 

                          5.          The intent of recording and highlighting the designators on the I-201 is to provide security officers and other staff with the security information necessary when managing offenders who require the highest degree of precaution. The documentation of the I-201 is required; however, the Warden may choose to utilize additional methods of notification to his staff to ensure awareness of offenders with SPDs.

 

                          6.          In the absence of a Chief of Unit Classification, a Unit Classification case manager or staff member designated by the Warden shall ensure the proper documentation of SPDs.

 

IV.       Review for Removal of Security Precaution Designators

 

Security precaution designators are intended for each offender who has engaged in any one of the four activities identified in the definitions section of this directive. SPDs shall be permanent unless the offender meets one of the following eligibility criteria:

 

             A.         Eligibility Criteria for Review for Removal of SPD

If the offender fits one of the following situations, then he may be considered for review for the removal of his SPD.

 

                          1.          Release Date: The offender is within 18 months of his firm release date (Board of Pardons and Paroles vote, mandatory, or discharge), with a clear disciplinary record (no case with major punishment) for one year (aggravated or non-aggravated sentence), and it has been at least three years since the incident which caused the placement of the designator. Should circumstances arise that extend the release date beyond the required 18 months, the UCC shall review the offender for possible reinstatement of designator.

 

                          2.          Non-aggravated sentences: The offender has a non-aggravated sentence, is an SAT-IV or higher, and maintained a clear disciplinary record (no case with major punishment) for the past three years, and it has been at least five years since the incident which caused the placement of the designator.

 

                          3.          Extraordinary Circumstances: An offender has an extraordinary set of circumstances. For example, if the offender escaped when he was 23 years old; is now 50 years old; and has maintained a clear disciplinary record (no case with major punishment) for 20 years.

 

             B.         Security Precaution Designator Review for Removal Process

 

During the sociological interview and classification reviews, the Sociologist and UCC will review the record of all offenders with an SPD.

 

                          1.          If the Sociological interviewer determines that an offender meets the criteria for review for removal, he shall recommend a review of the SPD by the Reception and Diagnostic Classification Committee (RDCC).

 

                          2.          If the UCC determines that an offender meets the criteria for review for removal, they shall recommend a review by the Security Precaution Designator Review Committee (SPDRC) comprised of the Warden, Regional Director and a State Classification Committee (SCC) member.

 

                          3.          The RDCC or the SPDRC shall review the offender’s record and, based upon the totality of the circumstances, make a determination to retain or remove the SPD. Upon a decision to remove the SPD, the SCC member shall remove the SPD from the computer records (UC00 screen 07) and, notify the Chief of Unit Classification who shall ensure the appropriate changes are made in the offender’s records.

 

V.         Operational Procedures

 

             A.         Offenders with one or more of the following SPDs are not eligible for assignment to a custody less restrictive than G4.

 

                          1.          Escape precaution;

                          2.          Hostage precaution;

                          3.          Staff assault precaution.

 

             B.         Offenders with a restraint precaution are identified to provide awareness to security supervisors and officers to use certain precautions in the management of these offenders.

 

VI.         Grievance of Security Precaution Designation

 

An offender who seeks to have an SPD removed from his record may do so by requesting a review of his record by the UCC. Offenders may request such a review no more than once a every 12 months. If the offender disagrees with the results of the UCC hearing in his case, he may utilize the offender grievance procedures.