Workplace Safety and Standards Committee

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="13c785a3.jpg"> <div> <B>CORRECTIONS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE COALITION</B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>    </B></FONT></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=156 BGCOLOR="#808080" TEXT="#080000" background="13dd2b03.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CORRECTIONS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE COALITI"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div> <B> </B><A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Corrections News"><U><B>Corrections News</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Officers News"><U><B>From The Front Line</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Federal Legislation"><U><B>Federal Legislation</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meeting Dates"><U><B>Meeting Dates</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Membership Links"><U><B>Member Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Research Links"><U><B>Research Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Workplace Safety</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Workplace Safety and Standards Committee</I></div> <bR> <div> Mission Statement</div> <div> It is the mission of this committee to establish correctional standards which will promote safety of staff, inmates and the public. These standards will represent a realistic view from the perspective of the correctional professional who maintains front line security in our nation's prisons.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Positions Statements Adopted   </B></div> <div> <A HREF="#_position_on_dealing_with_the_mentally" TITLE="Workplace Safety and Standards Committee"><U>Dealing with Mentally Ill Inmates</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#_position_on_faith_based_prison" TITLE="Workplace Safety and Standards Committee"><U>Faith Based Prisons</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#_position_on_gender_based_work" TITLE="Workplace Safety and Standards Committee"><U>Gender Based Job Assignments</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#_position_on_inmate_housing_units_" TITLE="Workplace Safety and Standards Committee"><U>Inmate Housing</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#_position_on_sexual_misconduct_" TITLE="Workplace Safety and Standards Committee"><U>Sexual Misconduct</U></A></div> <div> Staffing</div> <bR> <div> <B>“POSITION ON STAFFING”</B></div> <bR> <div> The Corrections and Criminal Justice Coalition (CCJC), is a coalition of Correctional Officer organizations whose members share the primary goal of improving the status of Correctional Professionals across the Country. When necessary to further its goals, CCJC takes positions on issues that directly impact the safety, security, and welfare of Correctional Professionals. </div> <bR> <div> Safe staffing level is the key component to properly transport offenders and manage correctional facilities. Inadequate staffing levels are a threat to public safety and places the community, correctional employees and offenders at risk. Nationally, these conditions have led to escapes, assaults and deaths. CCJC believes adequate staffing levels equate to safety.</div> <div> CCJC recommends  the following:</div> <bR> <bR> <div> No correctional officer should work in an isolated work assignment which has direct contact with offenders.</div> <bR> <div> Frequent roving patrols by correctional officers to provide support should be available.</div> <bR> <div> Cameras and other monitoring devices may be used to assist staff.  However, they should not replace staff.</div> <bR> <div> Immediate response is required in situations where staff or offender’s safety is at risk.</div> <bR> <div> As offender population levels increase in correctional facilities and the number of offenders being transported increases, accordingly, so must be the staffing levels. </div> <bR> <div> Adopted September 24, 2000</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="_position_on_gender_based_work"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>“POSITION ON GENDER BASED WORK ASSIGNMENTS”</B></div> <bR> <div> The Corrections and Criminal Justice Coalition (CCJC), is a coalition of Correctional Officer organizations whose members share the primary goal of improving the status of Correctional Professionals across the Country. When necessary to further its goals, CCJC takes positions on issues that directly impact the safety, security, and welfare of Correctional Professionals. </div> <bR> <div> Correctional Officers maintain Public Safety while performing their assignments in a professional manner. Gender based work assignments have become a topic of discussion in the Corrections Profession. </div> <bR> <div> CCJC supports the following:</div> <bR> <div>      Work assignments for Correctional Officers should <B><U>not</U></B> be based solely on gender.</div> <bR> <div>      Each agency should establish internal departmental policies, which clearly define how searches are to be conducted. Unclothed body (strip) searches and the collection of urine samples should be performed by Correctional Officers of the same gender except in emergency situations. </div> <bR> <div>      Correctional Officer work assignments should comply with all applicable laws, statutes, ordinances and any other negotiated agreements. </div> <bR> <div> Adopted May 7, 2000</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="_position_on_dealing_with_the_mentally"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>“POSITION ON DEALING WITH THE MENTALLY ILL”</B></div> <div>  </div> <div> The Corrections and Criminal Justice Coalition (CCJC), is a coalition of correctional officers organizations whose members share the primary goal of improving the status of correctional professionals across the country. When necessary to further its goals, CCJC takes positions on issues that directly impacts the safety, security, and welfare of correctional professionals.</div> <bR> <div> In recent years more and more of those with mental illnesses have found their way into the criminal justice system. Caring for individuals with mental illnesses in the custodial environment of prisons or jails require training and specialized skills. To ensure that the safety and security of the institutions and surrounding communities that we serve are protected, we support the following:</div> <bR> <div> The development of national comprehensive and specialized training standards for managing this inmate population.</div> <bR> <div> Increasing the staffing levels well above those for normal custodial populations in addition to other professionals providing clinical/therapeutic care.</div> <bR> <div> Adopted May 7, 2001</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <A NAME="_position_on_faith_based_prison"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><IMG SRC="14501010.png" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><B>“</B><B>POSITION ON FAITH BASED PRISON ORGANIZATIONS”</B></div> <bR> <div> The Corrections and Criminal Justice Coalition (CCJC), is a coalition of correctional officers organizations whose members share the primary goal of improving the status of correctional professionals across the country. When necessary to further its goals, CCJC takes positions on issues that directly impacts the safety, security, and welfare of correctional professionals.</div> <bR> <div> In recent years more and more religious organizations have expressed interest in expanding their roles in prisons and jails. The nationwide economic downturn has elevated the use of religious services as a cost saving measure. Safety and security can become compromised by the implementation of religious doctrines when they supercede sound correctional practices. To ensure the safety and security of the institutions and surrounding communities that we serve are protected, the CCJC supports the following:</div> <bR> <div> The use of volunteers when providing religious programs within a prison or jail setting;</div> <bR> <div> Varieties of religious programs that augment sound correctional practices within a prison or jail setting;</div> <bR> <div> Prisons and jails continue to be governed by the laws, rules, policies and procedures of the Federal, State or Counties in which they reside;</div> <bR> <div> The CCJC does not support prisons or jails being operated by Faith Based organizations.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> May1, 2005</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="_position_on_sexual_misconduct_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>“POSITION ON SEXUAL MISCONDUCT”</B></div> <bR> <div> The Corrections and Criminal Justice Coalition (CCJC), is a coalition of correctional officer organizations whose members share the primary goal of improving the status of correctional professionals across the country.  When necessary to further its goals, CCJC takes positions on issues that directly impact the safety, security, and welfare of correctional professionals.  </div> <bR> <div> Sexual misconduct has occurred in some prisons and jails placing the safety and well being of everyone at risk.  We find that such incidences are isolated.  To address this issue however, CCJC supports the following:</div> <bR> <div> The establishment of national standards that prohibit sexual misconduct by all correctional employees, contractors, and volunteers against any prisoner.  </div> <bR> <div> The establishment of internal departmental policies by all agencies that clearly define sexual misconduct and penalties for violating such policies.  These policies must include written procedures that protect the due process rights of those accused and they must further provide for penalties for inmates making false accusations.  These policies will be provided to all correctional employees, contractors, and volunteers.</div> <bR> <div> Training shall be given to all correctional employees, contractors, and volunteers on issues relating to sexual misconduct.  </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="_position_on_inmate_housing_units_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>“POSITION ON INMATE HOUSING UNITS”</B></div> <bR> <div> The Corrections and Criminal Justice Coalition (CCJC), is a coalition of Correctional Officer organizations whose members share the primary goal of improving the status of Correctional Professionals across the Country. When necessary to further its goals, CCJC takes positions on issues that directly impact the safety, security, and welfare of Correctional Professionals.</div> <bR> <div> Increases in the offender population have led to overcrowding in our nations prisons, jails and detention centers. This trend has put the safety of the public, staff, and offender population at increased risk of escapes, assaults, and even death. The CCJC believes safety and security of correctional facilities diminish when the number of offenders housed is larger than the design capacity. Correctional facilities need to be managed and designed to minimize inherent risks. </div> <bR> <div> To ensure the safety and security of the institutions and surrounding communities we serve are protected, the CCJC supports the following:</div> <bR> <div> Correctional facilities should not house more offenders than their design capacity allows.</div> <bR> <div> Correctional facilities should be comprised of multiple individual housing units or be divisible into distinct, semi-autonomous management units.</div> <bR> <div> Offenders with Level 3 (medium) Custody or higher classifications should not be housed in dormitory housing units.</div> <bR> <div> Correctional facilities should be designed and managed to permit direct contact and interaction between staff and inmates.</div> <bR> <div> Maximum housing unit size should be determined by the classification of the inmates being housed and the architecture of the institution.</div> <bR> <div> All housing units and areas of supervision should have clear lines of sight for enhanced supervision by Correctional Officers.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>    </div> </td> </tr></table></body>