Policy Text
Correctional Services Page 1 of 13 3/10 (Rev7/19)
MJ/RCCC
OPERATIONS ORDER
Death or Serious Injury of a Prisoner
The purpose of this Order is to provide procedures regarding th e death or serious injury
of any prisoner confined at the Main Jail or the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center
(RCCC) or any prisoner housed in an outside medical facility.
I. Policy
Prisoner deaths shall be thoroughl y investigated and reported i n accordance with the
California Code of Regulations, T itle 15, Article 4, Section 10 46, California Government
Code Section 12525 and existing departmental procedures. In si tuations of death or
serious injury or where death is likely due to severe illness o r injury, the prisoner’s next
of kin shall be notified by specified personnel.
II. Factors to Consider when Responding to the Scene
A. One of the most important thi ngs an officer can remember at the death
scene is: All death scenes are t o be treated as homicides unl ess
evidence indicates otherwise.
B. Custody staff should always us e training and experience and respond
according to established safety procedures. The technique of t he
response will depend on information received and/or observation s of the
scene.
C. Custody staff should consider the following when responding to a scene:
1. Has the death just occurred or was the body just discovered?
2. What is the type of death ( natural, accidental, suicide or h omicide)?
3. If it is a homicide, where is the suspect?
4. Are other prisoners present w here the deceased or injured pr isoner
is located?
III. Discovery of a Death, Pending Death, or Seri ous Injury - P rimary Officer
Responsibilities
A. Any custody staff becoming aware of an apparent death or a s erious injury
that may result in death shall notify Central Control at the Main Jail or
Booking Control at RCCC with the following information:
Correctional Services Page 2 of 13 3/10 (Rev7/19)
MJ/RCCC 1. The location, need for additi onal personnel, and the type of injury or
circumstances.
B. The first sworn employee on scene will generally be designat ed the
primary officer and shall mi nimally be responsible for:
1. Taking charge of the scene, t ouching only the prisoner to de termine
if there are any signs of life.
2. Administering first-aid and/or Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitatio n
(CPR) until relieved by medi cal personnel, if appropriate.
3. Delegating scene operations unt il a sworn supervisor arrives unless
engaged in medical aid responsibilities.
C. Central Control at the Main Jail and Booking Control at RCCC shall take
the following steps at the direction of staff on scene:
1. Ensure a superviso r has been notified.
2. Notify outside emer gency services and equipment and coordina te
the emergency response with on scene staff.
3. Record all events related to the incident in the control log book.
D. Deputies have the authority to pronounce death, if the death is obvious.
Signs of obvious death are defined per Sacramento County Emerge ncy
Medical Procedures and Protocol s and may be determined on visua l
inspection by non-medical respo nders after determination that t here is no
pulse, breathing, or re sponse to stimuli.
E. Prisoners found in the followi ng conditions may be determine d to be
obviously dead, and no life suppo rt procedures are required:
1. Incineration 2. Decapitation 3. Decomposition
4. Postmortem Lividity
5. Rigor mortis in one limb and jaw with no palpable pulse.
6. Submersion gr eater than 24 hours.
a. If these conditions are not f ound, life must be assumed and
emergency life preserving measur es instituted immediately
and continued until the terminati on by medical direction.
Correctional Services Page 3 of 13 3/10 (Rev7/19)
MJ/RCCC F. In cases where a deputy or ot her non-medical responder disco vers an
“obvious prisoner death”, the responder shall not disturb the b ody.
G. If there is no doubt as to the death, medical personnel can be denied
access to the scene.
H. If the prisoner does not meet the criteria for obvious death , the highest
level of medical personnel presen t at the scene will be escorte d by
custody staff to the victim to a ssess whether the patient has s igns of life or
there is a possibility the vict im may be successfully resuscita ted.
I. If medical personnel determi ne that resuscitation should be started,
custody staff must abide by this decision and allow access to a ll medical
personnel needed at the scene. Medi cal staff shall determine t he
appropriate treatment and actions ta ken, up to and including, t ransport to
a hospital.
J. If a prisoner is transported to a hospital, one deputy will accompany the
prisoner in the ambulance and take note of the responding ambul ance
company and staff, the departure time from the scene and arriva l time at
the hospital, any statements ma de by the victim, and the medica l
personnel that treat the victim at the hospital.
K. If the victim is pronounc ed dead, the body should not be mov ed or
covered as this may disturb any evidence