ICE/DRO DETENTION STANDARD

POPULATION COUNTS

# PURPOSE AND SCOPE. This Detention Standard protects the community from harm and enhances facility security, safety, and good order by requiring that each facility have an ongoing, effective system of population counts and accountability for detainees.

It applies to the following types of facilities housing ICE/DRO
detainees:

-   Service Processing Centers (SPCs);

-   Contract Detention Facilities (CDFs); and

-   State or local government facilities used by DRO through
    Intergovernmental Service Agreements (IGSAs) to hold detainees for
    more than 72 hours.

***Procedures in italics are specifically required for SPCs and
CDFs***.  IGSAs must conform to these procedures or adopt, adapt or
establish alternatives, provided they meet or exceed the intent
represented by these procedures.

Some terms used in this document may be defined in the separate
**Definitions** Standard.

# EXPECTED OUTCOME. The expected outcome of this Detention Standard is:

Security, safety, and orderly facility operations will be maintained
through an ongoing, effective system of population counts and
accountability for detainees.

# DIRECTIVES AFFECTED. This Detention Standard replaces Population Counts dated 9/20/2000.

# REFERENCES

> American Correctional Association 4th Edition Standards for Adult
> Local Detention Facilities: 4-ALDF-2A-16, 2A-17.
>
> ICE/DRO National Detention Standard on Medical Care

# EXPECTED PRACTICES

## Formal Counts

> Formal counts are conducted at specific times of the day and night in
> a predetermined manner. A formal count shall be conducted at least
> once every eight hours, with a shift supervisor verifying its
> accuracy. Additional counts are encouraged at the discretion of the
> facility.
>
> *In SPCs and CDFs:*

1.  *The formal count(s) shall be conducted at least once every eight
    hours (ordinarily once per shift) at a time determined by the chief
    of security. Counts shall be scheduled to achieve full
    accountability with minimal interference with daily work and
    activity schedules.*

2.  *Count procedures must be strictly followed. If the accuracy of a
    count is in doubt, the officers shall do a recount and any other
    double-checking necessary. Officers performing the count shall never
    rely on a roll call.*

> *a. An unaccompanied officer shall never perform a count in an open
> area (housing units, food service area, etc.). One officer shall count
> while a second officer observes all detainee movements, to ensure that
> no detainee shifts from one location to another, to be counted twice.
> Upon completing the first count the officers shall change positions
> and count again.*
>
> *b. The officers assigned the count shall have primary responsibility
> for the count accuracy, and shall be familiar with possible sources of
> error. The officers must know the specific manner of counting
> detainees in different types of locations (for example, housing units,
> open-type areas, or work areas). A system for counting each detainee,
> including those who are outside the housing unit, will be developed.
> The officers shall encourage detainees to accept the count as a
> facility necessity.*
>
> *c. Officers must make positive identification of the living body of
> the detainee ("living, breathing flesh") \-- and not mere clothing in
> a human shapebefore counting anyone present. Escapes have been
> affected by the skillful use of such mannequins, replicas, dummies,
> etc. The counting officers shall remain in the count area until the
> facility Control Center verifies and clears the count.*
>
> *d. When making night counts, officers should use flashlights
> judiciously, however with sufficient light to make a positive
> identification of a living body. The officer must not count a detainee
> based on a part or parts of clothing, hair, shoes, or the appearance
> of a human form.*

3.  *Officers shall encourage detainee cooperation; however, they shall
    not allow detainees to perform the count, nor participate in the
    preparation or documentation of the count process.*

4.  *There shall be no movement of detainees during formal counts. All
    detainee movements into, out of, and within the facility must cease
    before the count begins. Detainee movement shall not resume anywhere
    in the facility until the complete facility count has been cleared.
    If while conducting a count staff observe an unusual incident e.g.
    medical emergency, criminal act, etc., they will cease the count and
    respond appropriately according to local procedures. Should an
    emergency arise during the count that necessitates the movement of
    detainees, a new count shall be conducted.*

5.  *All detainee units/areas shall be counted simultaneously. Each
    detainee shall be counted at a specific location; and all movement
    of detainees shall cease before the count begins. Movement shall not
    resume until the total detainee population count is verified and
    cleared. The counting officer from each location shall report his or
    her count to the facility control officer, who is responsible for
    collecting and maintaining the count. After the count is reported
    in, a signed paper count slip shall be delivered to the Control
    Center. This count slip shall be used to verify the area count.
    Therefore, count slips must be prepared and signed in indelible ink.
    Both officers conducting the count must sign the count slip. The
    Control Center shall not accept an improperly prepared count slip or
    one that contains erasures or alterations of any kind. The control
    officer shall take into account the current out-count in verifying
    the population count against the master count.*

6.  *As each area reports its count, the control officer shall so
    indicate in the control log. If any area/unit reports an incorrect
    count, all areas/units shall be required to count again. If the
    count remains incorrect, the shift supervisor shall be notified and
    additional staff shall be dispatched to the count area to assist
    with a third count. No count shall be cleared until all counting
    errors have been corrected, or until the cause of error has been
    identified and corrective action taken. If a detainee is in the
    wrong count area, the detainee shall be escorted to the correct
    count area. If this occurs, officers in all count areas/units shall
    recount, recall the earlier counts, and deliver the new count slip
    to the control officer.*

7.  *If all recounts fail to clear the count, the shift supervisor shall
    conduct a face-to-photo count, matching photos on facility
    identification cards with detainee faces, individual by individual.
    When the face-to-photo count has been completed, the control officer
    shall report that count to the shift supervisor responsible for
    accepting and clearing the count.*

8.  *In the event that a detainee is unaccounted for after the
    face-to-photo count, the supervisor on duty shall institute the
    escape policy.*

## Face-to-Photo Counts

> Face-to-photo counts shall be conducted as necessary. Facilities will
> conduct at least one face-to-photo count daily.
>
> *In SPCs and CDFs, face-to-photo counting procedures are the same as
> the formal count procedures, except each detainee shall be matched
> with the photo on his or her I-385 card or facility equivalent
> photo-identification card.*

## Informal/Census Counts

> Each officer shall make irregular but frequent checks to verify the
> presence of all detainees in his or her charge.
>
> *In SPCs and CDFs, these informal counts or checks occur between
> formal counts. For work crews, a count is made when the crew assembles
> for work, at frequent intervals during the work period, and when the
> crew is dismissed at the end of the work period. An informal count is
> reported only if a detainee appears to be missing. In that case, an
> emergency (formal) count shall be taken.*

## Master Count

> The facility Control Center shall maintain a master count.
>
> *In SPCs and CDFs, the facility control officer maintains the master
> count record. He or she must be provided with up-to-the-minute
> information regarding detainee admissions, releases, housing changes,
> hospital admissions, outside work details, and any other changes that
> could affect detainee accountability. An up-to-the-minute count record
> shall at all times be maintained in the Control Center. The master
> count shall take into account the current out-count.*

## Out-Counts

> The control officer shall maintain an out-count record of the number
> and destination of all detainees who temporarily leave the facility.
>
> *In SPCs and CDFs, this record must contain an accurate and
> up-to-the-minute listing of every temporary departure and return of a
> detainee. It must be updated regularly and used in any formal count.*

## Emergency Count

> An emergency count shall be conducted when there is reason to believe
> a detainee is missing, or after a major disturbance has occurred.
>
> An emergency count is a formal count taken in addition to and at a
> different time from the regularly scheduled formal counts. When a
> detainee is unaccounted for, or a major disturbance has ended, a count
> shall be taken to determine that no one has escaped or is in hiding.
> The facility control officer must always be prepared to produce an
> up-to-the-minute count for such use.
>
> In SPCs and CDFs, all detainees shall be returned to their housing
> units during emergency counts. An emergency count is conducted in the
> same manner as a formal count.

**Standard Approved:**

**James T. Hayes, Jr. /s/ 12/5/2008**

**\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

**James T. Hayes, Jr. Date**

**Director**

**Office of Detention and Removal Operations**