Opinion ID: 398038
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Security Staff

Text: 65 1. Defendants shall employ sufficient trained staff, taking account of the security levels of the TDC prison population and the design of TDC facilities, to provide for the security, control, custody and supervision of prisoners. Specifically, by November 1, 1981, defendants shall have hired and trained sufficient security staff officers so that the TDC staff-prisoner ratio exceeds one uniformed staff member for every ten prisoners. By May 1, 1982, defendants shall have hired and trained sufficient security staff so that such ratio exceeds one uniformed staff member for every eight prisoners. By November 1, 1982, defendants shall have hired and trained sufficient security staff so that such ratio exceeds one uniformed staff member for every six prisoners, and thereafter, until further order of the court, defendants shall maintain such ratio. 66 2. In all TDC units or housing areas to which maximum security prisoners are assigned, the defendants shall, by November 1, 1982, maintain the following minimal staffing pattern: 67 (a) at least one officer shall be assigned to each tier of every cellblock at all times when any cell in the tier contains more than one prisoner. 68 (b) at least one officer shall be assigned to remain in each dormitory at all times when more than two but less than forty prisoners are situated therein. 69 (c) at least two officers shall be assigned to remain in each dormitory at all times when more than forty prisoners are situated therein. 70 (d) for each dormitory in which an officer is posted, an officer situated at some outside point shall have some form of contact (e.g., voice communication, beeper, visual observation) with the officer on the inside, in order that additional staff may respond rapidly to any difficulties which may occur inside the dormitory. 71 3. If the defendants are of the opinion that the minimal staffing pattern described in II-A-2 above is unnecessary to the protection of inmates as to a specific cellblock or dormitory, they may file a report with the Special Master delineating their contentions as to why the prescribed staffing pattern is unnecessary in the particular instance. If the Special Master, after allowing time for objections from the other parties, agrees with the defendants in a particular instance, relief from part II-A-2 of this order may be effected, provided defendants comply with any alternate staffing pattern that may be prescribed by the Special Master. However, if any party desires to appeal from a decision of the Special Master under this section, such appeal may be made to the court, but only on the basis of the record made before the Special Master. In the event of such an appeal from a decision of the Special Master authorizing particularized relief from Part II-A-2 hereof, the decision shall not take effect pending review by the court. 72 4. The TDC staff-prisoner ratio and officer assignments prescribed above shall be maintained until such time as the defendants can demonstrate to the court that they can fulfill their constitutional responsibilities by employing a different staff-prisoner ratio and/or officer assignments.