Table of Contents
U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Program Statement
OPI: CPD/CPB
NUMBER: P5290.15
DATE: 3/30/2009
SUBJECT: Intake Screening
PURPOSE AND SCOPE §522.20
Bureau of Prisons staff screen newly arrived inmates to ensure that Bureau health, safety, and security standards are met.
When an inmate is received, as a new commitment, in transfer from another institution, as a court return, as a return from a writ, or as a holdover, it is possible that information regarding that inmate is inaccurate, incomplete, or unavailable during the pre-arrival screening process. Therefore, before placing that inmate in the institution’s general population, staff shall ensure that health, safety, and security standards delineated in this Program Statement are met. Social and medical screening interviews are required to meet these standards.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
This revision clarifies the intake screening procedures for inmates with a history of aggressive sexual behavior or who have been victims of sexual assault.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVE
The expected result of this program is: Social and medical screening interviews will be conducted on all inmates prior to their placement in general population.
DIRECTIVES AFFECTED
Directive Rescinded
P5290.12 Intake Screening (3/16/99)
Directives Referenced
P5264.08 Telephone Regulations for Inmates (1/24/08)
P5265.11 Correspondence (7/9/99)
P5310.13 Mentally Ill Inmates, Institution Management of (3/31/95)
P5324.06 Sexually Abusive Behavior Prevention and Intervention Program (4/27/05)
P5324.08 Suicide Prevention Program (4/5/07)
P5800.12 Receiving and Discharge Manual (12/31/97)
P6000.05 Health Services Manual (9/15/96)
P7331.04 Pretrial Inmates (1/31/03)
Rules cited in this Program Statement are contained in 28 CFR 522.20-21.
STANDARDS REFERENCED
American Correctional Association 4th Edition Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions: 4-4285, 4-4288, 4-4362M, and 4-4363M
American Correctional Association 3rd Edition Standards for Adult Local Detention Facilities: 3-ALDF-4A-01, 3-ALDF-4A-03, 3-ALDF-4E-19, and 3-ALDF-4E-20
American Correctional Association 2nd Edition Standards for Administration of Correctional Agencies: None
PRETRIAL/HOLDOVER AND/OR DETAINEE PROCEDURES
Procedures in this Program Statement apply to pretrial/holdover inmates and Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service, detainees. Additional information regarding the management of these inmates is contained in the Program Statement on Pretrial Inmates. See the Program Statement Receiving and Discharge Manual, for procedures regarding visual searches of detainees charged with misdemeanors, committed for civil contempt or held as material witnesses.
PROCEDURES §522.21
Except for such camps and other satellite facilities where segregating a newly arrived inmate in detention is not feasible, the Warden shall ensure that a newly arrived inmate is cleared by the Medical Department and provided a social interview by staff before assignment to the general population.
Staff shall observe the physical appearance of the inmate and interview each inmate prior to placement in general population. If this is not possible, inmates are to be kept in detention until completion of the medical clearance and social interview. Each institution shall develop procedures for processing commitments after regular working hours.
At camps and other satellite facilities, segregating a newly arrived inmate in detention is often not feasible; however, the Warden shall ensure that the inmate is cleared by the Health Services Department and provided a social interview by staff consistent with the requirements of this Program Statement.
Immediately upon an inmate’s arrival, staff shall interview the inmate to determine if there are non-medical reasons for housing the inmate away from the general population. Staff shall evaluate both the general physical appearance and emotional condition of the inmate.
The social interview is to be conducted in private (no other inmates in area) by a Unit Manager, Correctional Counselor, Case Manager, or other staff the Warden designates who have been trained in intake screening. The interviewer conducting the social interview must have completed successfully the CIM Certification Program prior to conducting the interview.
- The interviewer shall also review SENTRY information and the Inmate Central File or Presentence Investigation Report (PSI), if available, and make a decision whether the inmate is suitable for placement in general population.
During the social intake screening process, the interviewer shall review the PSI and the Inmate Central File for any documentation indicating the inmate has a history of sexually aggressive behavior or has recently been the victim of a sexual assault.
- In such cases, the interviewer shall immediately forward a copy of the Intake Screening Form and any other comments to Psychology Services for appropriate follow-up and or assessment.
Within 24 hours after an inmate’s arrival, medical staff shall medically screen the inmate in compliance with Bureau of Prisons’ medical procedures to determine if there are medical reasons for housing the inmate away from the general population or for restricting temporary work assignments.
Institutions with Physician Assistants on 24-hour coverage shall normally complete the medical screening immediately after the inmate’s arrival. A complete medical evaluation is conducted subsequently in accordance with the Health Services Manual.
Staff shall place recorded results of the intake medical screening and the social interview in the inmate’s central file.
The social interview is documented on the Intake Screening Form, which shall be retrieved from SENTRY upon the inmate’s immediate arrival at the institution to ensure the most current CIM Clearance and Separatee Data Form is attached for the interview process.
- Retrieval of this information prior to the inmate’s immediate arrival may result in outdated or even inaccurate information.
- The completed Intake Screening Form shall be maintained with all previous Intake Screening Forms in section 3 of the Inmate Central File.
The intake screening procedures identified in this Program Statement may be modified at the Warden’s discretion for pretrial short-term (less than 48 hours) inmates and court returns.
- Ordinarily, modified intake screening procedures would only be appropriate at Metropolitan Correctional Centers, Metropolitan Detention Centers or other institutions with a primary mission of providing pretrial confinement.
Staff shall place particular emphasis on the Central Inmate Monitoring status of the holdover, since, ordinarily, an inmate may not be transported with or confined with inmates from whom he or she is to be separated.
To ensure that separatees are not housed together, staff shall access the newly received inmate’s SENTRY-generated Intake Screening form and thoroughly review the CIM Clearance and Separatee Data to identify any separatees currently housed in the institution. Staff may also cross-check the names of separatees with an alphabetical list of all inmates in the institution.
HOLDOVERS
Staff shall screen each inmate in temporary holdover status (e.g., Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals, etc.) at the institution, as provided above. Staff conducting the social interview shall use a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) record and Individual Custody and Detention Report USM (129) along with SENTRY data in the absence of a PSI and/or Inmate Central File.
Staff shall give special attention to any warning comments highlighted on the In-Transit Data Form to ensure that no separatees of the holdover are currently housed in the institution.
An exception to the housing restriction may be made with overnight holdovers if appropriate safeguards can be and are taken to ensure there is no contact between separatees. Such a decision shall be made by the Warden or designee.
If an inmate is scheduled for the same plane, bus, van, etc., as an inmate or inmates from whom the inmate is to be separated, staff shall remove one or more inmates from the scheduled transportation.
- The separation information must be documented on the In-Transit Data Form of any case removed from the scheduled transportation to ensure separation. The USM Prisoner Coordination office is to be informed of any deletions as soon as possible.
If staff determine that the inmate can be safely transported, this decision is to be noted in the remarks section of the In-Transit Data Form.
When the inmate arrives at the final destination, staff shall place a copy of the In-Transit Data Form in section 2 of the Inmate Central File.
HOUSING
Staff making quarters assignments for a newly arrived inmate shall review the result of intake screening to ensure restrictions are noted prior to assignment.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF INMATE
Staff who conduct intake screenings shall also inform inmates about regulations on:
- correspondence,
- disposition of funds,
- monitoring of inmate telephone calls,
- procedures for unmonitored attorney telephone calls, and
- notification in case of death or illness and disposition of property.
These subjects are discussed on the Acknowledgment of Inmate forms BP-407 and BP-408 (available on BOPDOCS), which provide signature blocks for the inmate to acknowledge that he or she has been advised and understands these regulations and for staff to certify that the inmate was advised.
It is vital that each section of the BP-407 and BP-408 are completed accurately and legibly. These forms are relied upon for many reasons, including inmate litigation involving the Bureau. During the inmate’s program review meetings, these forms should be reviewed to ensure the information has not changed.
A new form is required only if the information on the previous BP-407 and/or BP-408 has changed.
An inmate may change the data on either form at any time during incarceration. However, if the most current form in the Inmate Central File is correct, a new form need not be completed when the inmate transfers to another institution. Then, that fact must be documented legibly on the most current BP-407/BP-408 form and include:
- institution mnemonic code;
- interviewer’s initials/inmate’s initials (both); and date.
The inmate shall record his or her own initials. For example, “THA plt/dor 09-28-1998.” Additional information concerning inmate acknowledgments can be found in the Program Statements on Correspondence and Inmate Telephone Regulations. If a new BP-407 or BP-408 form is required, it shall be maintained with all previous BP-407/BP-408 forms in section 3 of the Inmate Central File.
INSTITUTION SUPPLEMENT
For those institutions choosing to implement a modified intake screening process for pretrial short-term (less than 48 hours) court returns, the Warden shall issue an Institution Supplement to define the modified intake procedures. The Institution Supplement shall clearly identify the methods used to ensure safety and security are considered prior to placing the inmate in general population.
A copy of the Institution Supplement must be forwarded to the Regional Correctional Programs Administrator.
/s/
Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, Director
Published Feb 8, 2025 by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA | Last Updated by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA on Feb 21, 2025 at 11:00 am