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

Heading: security and safety

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.
73 By August 1, 1981, defendants shall file with the court a plan and timetable for the training of new security officers and the retraining of existing security officers. The training shall include adequate attention to the use of force and chemical agents as well as to the requirements of the court's memorandum opinion of December 12, 1980, this decree, the consent decree agreed to by the parties, and any further orders in this action.
74 1. By June 1, 1981, defendants shall develop and file with the court clear and concise written standards governing the use of force by TDC personnel against prisoners. The standards shall ensure that only the minimum force reasonably believed to be necessary shall be used, and then solely in the following situations: 75 (a) In cases of self-defense against a prisoner, where the physical safety of a TDC officer or employee is imminently and immediately threatened; 76 (b) Where the conduct of a prisoner presents an imminent and immediate threat to the physical safety of another person or persons; 77 (c) In the prevention of serious damage to property by an inmate, where the danger to property presents an imminent and immediate threat; 78 (d) In the prevention of escapes; 79 (e) In maintaining or regaining control of a prison institution or any portion or facility therein (including any open fields or areas where inmates are employed), in the event of a mutiny, rebellion, riot, or disturbance. Authorization for the use of force to quell a mutiny, rebellion, riot, or disturbance shall be made only by the assistant warden or higher authority, except in case of a bona fide emergency where the officer in charge must take necessary action without delay; and 80 (f) In enforcement of prison rules and regulations in order to temporarily isolate or otherwise confine a prisoner, where lesser means have proven ineffective. 81 2. Any use of force must be documented in writing and submitted to the appropriate warden, a copy of which shall be sent to the Director of TDC and to the Special Master. 82 3. Any TDC employee who violates these standards shall be promptly and effectively disciplined. A report of any such violation and the discipline imposed shall be maintained and available for review on request by the Special Master and/or counsel. 83 4. All reasonable steps shall be taken to reduce and prevent any incident or necessity for the use of force. 84 5. Unless deadly force is immediately necessary to prevent serious injury to any person or to prevent escape, only nondeadly force shall be used. 85 6. Deadly force may also be used when necessary to quell a mutiny, rebellion, riot, or disturbance in which loss of life or serious injury to any person or escape is imminent, and where lesser means have failed to achieve the purpose of quelling such mutiny, rebellion, riot, disturbance, or escape. 86 7. In no event shall force be used to impose discipline. Disciplinary sanctions for the violation of a prison regulation or rule will be imposed only pursuant to such procedures as are now or in the future may be established for the conduct of disciplinary proceedings. 87 8. Mechanical instruments of physical restraint, not more confining than required by the circumstances, shall be used only: (a) as a precaution against escape during the transfer of prisoners; (b) to prevent injury to others or serious property damage; and (c) for medical reasons or for prevention of self injury, and then, except in emergencies, only at the direction of a physician. In the case of emergencies, a physician's directions shall be obtained as early as practicable. Prisoners in such restraints shall be closely supervised. Restraints shall not be used as disciplinary or punishment measures. 88 9. Security and custodial personnel shall use only those types of weapons, instruments of restraint, chemical agents, or similar technology that have been approved personally by the Director of TDC.
89 No prisoner or group of prisoners shall have administrative or supervisory authority over other prisoners or be placed in a position to administer disciplinary action. The defendants shall forthwith eliminate the building tender system. Specifically, defendants shall abolish the jobs of building tenders, hall tenders, orderlies, floor boys, turnkeys, key girls, porters, bookkeepers, count boys, field porters, water boys, lead row workers and tail row workers. No prisoner shall be placed in a position to exercise administrative or supervisory authority over another prisoner, to assist in counting other prisoners, to possess keys or weapons, to escort prisoners to different areas of the unit, to provide access to areas of the unit, to influence cell assignments, or to have access to another prisoner's medical or institutional records. 90 1. If prisoners are assigned duties heretofore performed by building tenders (including distribution of correspondence, commissary script or goods, operation of television sets, and other day room games or activities, keeping track of the whereabouts of other prisoners, and performing janitorial services), such duties shall be rotated at least every thirty days, consistent with classification requirements, so that prisoners in a housing unit have the opportunity to share these duties (and the accompanying perquisites of open cells, flexible meal hours and the like). The duties relating to each assignment (which shall be consistent with classification standards to be developed) shall be written and posted in a conspicuous manner in the area where the duties are to be performed. A roster of prisoners assigned these duties and the term of service shall be maintained at each unit. Prisoners who violate or exercise authority beyond the posted duties shall be subjected to disciplinary action. 91 2. The defendants shall promptly investigate all allegations that prisoners are functioning as building tenders and are exercising control or authority over other prisoners. The results of such investigations, along with statements and copies of records obtained, shall be available for review on request by the Special Master and/or counsel.
92 So long as defendants confine more than one prisoner to a cell of sixty square feet or less, or to a dormitory, they shall maintain a classification system assuring that abuses of prisoners by those they live with will be minimized. By August 1, 1981, defendants shall file a plan with the court setting forth an adequate classification system and a timetable for its implementation. The plan will include provisions to insure that in the future only minimum security prisoners are assigned to live in dormitories. 93