Prison Puzzle Pieces 2. Dave Basham
and bed
h) The bars on the cell door
I) The door itself
J) Door track
Officers must flush and plunge the toilet. A mirror must be used to check areas not easily seen. Electrical boxes, conduits, light fixtures, etc. must be checked at least randomly and/or when it appears they have been tampered. Electrical lights and switch plates must be removed for search, staff must notify Plant Management staff to have lights and switch plates removed. Staff must search the offender's personal property including canteen items. Staff will empty dry canteen items into designated containers so the contents can be viewed. Staff will return the contents to the original container after searching.
k) When searching offender property, officers will look for (not feel, to avoid accidental cuts, sticks, etc.) altered property, excessive property and the general condition of the cell.
I) All items removed from a cell must be marked with masking tape indicating the offender's name, OlD number, unit and cell number. The items must be listed on the Inventory of Unauthorized Property and Disposition form completed by the searching officers. The offender must receive a copy of the completed form upon conclusion of the search.
m) Officers will thoroughly inspect and metal detect mattresses and pillows.
Altered mattresses must be replaced. Offenders found with altered mattresses will receive a formal discipline report.
n) At the completion of cell searches, all offenders must be in compliance with the facility's allowable cell items and property limits.
o) Officers will conduct the search in a systematic manner and will take care to avoid damage to offenders' property. Officers will make reasonable efforts to leave the cell in an orderly condition.
p) Daily search and remove garbage from the cell. Leave the offender with a new garbage bag.
q) Offender ID card and cable ties must be checked for accuracy and alteration.
r) Officers will thoroughly search all common areas, including the flag, exercise equipment, tables, storage closets and shower areas for contraband and tampering.
s) When conducting cell searches, officers must start on the top tier and complete the entire tier (front to break or break to back) before stopping to avoid the possibility of offenders passing contraband from one cell to another.
t) Officers will submit work orders to correct any physical plant deficiencies noted during the lockup.
NOTE TO INMATES
The unit has been placed on Lock-Up Status as of Wednesday, March 21, 2007.
Throughout the Lock-Up, the following rules will apply:
1. Offender will be authorized to leave their cells during Lock-Up for the following reasons only: A) All emergency medical attention or other emergency situations validated by the Case Manager, Unit Lt., and/or the Watch Commander; B) Visiting as authorized by the Warden and conditional upon behavior, attitude, and cooperation of the offender during the lock-up and search.
2. Passing items from one offender cell to another offender cell by staff or by offender is prohibited. Staff are not allowed to give items such as hot water, ice, seconds on meals, kool aid, etc. to offender.
3. Telephone privileges, including legal calls, will be suspended until the Lock-up is over. The Case Manager must approve emergency calls.
4. Meals will be served at regular times.
5. Toilet paper and kites will be available throughout the lock-up. Request them through the correctional officers.
6. Routine medical needs, explained in a kite, must be submitted prior to 7:30 a.m.
The request will be forwarded to Health Services personnel who will visit you in your cell as soon as possible, if they determine a visit is necessary.
7. Every attempt will be made to collect trash from each cell each day.
8. Outgoing mail will be collected daily during 1stwatch.
9. Residents of a locked-up Unit will submit to an unclothed body search before exiting and again upon return to the Unit.
10. Any offenders observed using a mirror outside the cell bars, will have the mirror confiscated.
A Lock-up can be trying and frustrating for everyone involved. Your mature conduct will allow efficient and orderly completion of the shakedown of the Unit so regular programming can resume as soon as possible.
EMAILS FROM VARIOUS LOCKDOWNS
1-5-05 CONTINUED LOCKDOWN
(This lockdown was due to a missing inmate that had tried to escape, but failed.)
The facility will remain on lock up status at least through 2nd Watch on Thursday, 1/6/05. Offenders will be fed both breakfast and lunch in their cells. Please use this time to conduct thorough searches of the common areas of your units, verify tool and key inventories, etc. This is our first priority. Once this is completed, it would be a good time either do a little winter sprucing up of bubbles, office areas etc or do some on line training.
At 1230, we will conduct a debriefing of the entire IMS incident. If you participated in the IMS incident, you are asked to attend. If you did not participate, had minimal involvement or were not working Wednesday, we ask that you provide coverage in your work area to permit those who did have active roles to attend this debriefing. The debriefing will held in the Higher Education room in Education - again at 1230.
It was very gratifying to see the facility move into action. We were extremely fortunate to have located the inmate before he was able to escape from the secure perimeter. Thank you to all responded - we all play an important role when these types of incidents occur.
1/20/06 INCIDENT RESPONSES
I just wanted to thank all staff for their part in the responses to the last couple of days' issues. We have A-East locked down for routine shakedown, B-West and Segregation to evaluate intelligence on whether or not this is gang issues or isolated incidents. We'll be meeting this afternoon to make decisions on seg and B-West, as well as transfers that would help.
1/24/06 A-EAST AND B-WEST INFORMATION
Thanks to everyone on the lock down of A-East, as well as the shakedown of the unit. As you probably already know, this was a routine lock down and shakedown which yielded a couple of shanks as well as the usual altered and stockpiled property. B-West, however, is another subject. After several fights last week, info we received Friday indicated that the problem was over. Saturday morning, however, another group of inmates started fighting. Staff did a great job quelling that fight and subsequently, B-West was locked down. We've started a shake down as well.
5-4-06 WHO LET THE DOGS OUT
Today we were able to borrow the canine teams from MCF-FRB, LL & ML/WR ( Faribault, Lino Lakes, Moose Lake/Willow River) to provide a facility presence and do some area searches. Based on information from OSI (Office of Special Investigations) we targeted several offender cells as well. The canines discovered a softball size bag of marijuana in an offender's laundry bag in his cell in D-Hall. We also had a hit in another cell which resulted in a positive UA. We did a debriefing with the canine teams which was a valuable learning experience for our staff. The canine teams asked that we relay their appreciation to the STW staff, who were very professional and accommodating.
We appreciate the willingness of the 3 mediums to loan us their canine teams. (Minnesota prisons classified as medium level of security were allowed to have dogs and handlers for those dogs) We plan to utilize canines when they are available to us. We value the information staff provide to OSI regarding suspicious offender activity.
On behalf of the Administration, thanks to all the staff who were involved in this process and the professionalism of each of you.
4-22-05