I43 (Revised)

I.43 INMATE COUNT PROCEDURE Page 1 of 3 #19//09 San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Detention Services Bureau – Manual of Policies and Procedures PURPOSE To provide guidelines for conducting counts of inmates . POLICY All inmates at each detention facility shall be accounted for . Sworn s taff will physically conduct counts of inmates through various methods (hard count, soft count, head count) . All soft and hard counts require sworn staff to verify eac h inmate's well -being for any obvious signs of medical or physical distress , trauma and/or criminal activity. In addition , sworn staff shall also ensure the environment is clear of any safety and or security hazards. Inmates away from the facility for authorized reasons (e.g., court, medical appointments, etc.) will be account ed for upon their return. PROCEDURE I. COUNTS DEFINED A. Hard Count – A count which verifies each inmate’s well -being through verbal or physical acknowledgement from the inmate, and uses one of the following methods to confirm the identity of every inmate in a facility: 1. Bar Code Reader (BCR) 2. Face Cards 3. Jail Information Management System (JIMS) Web Reports ( e.g., Floor Count, Floor Evacuation List) 4. JIMS Operations Reports ( e.g., Inmates Still in Booking, Inmate Roster by Last Name) B. Soft Count – A coun t of the number of inmates in a facility or housing unit which verifies each inmate’s well -being through verbal or physical acknowledgement from the inmate. It also determines if the correct numbers of inmates are currently in the facility or housing unit . C. Head Count – A total count of the number of inmates in each area . A head count can be utilized any time a simple count is required solely for the purpose of determining the number of inmates in the facility or housing unit . DATE: OCTOBER 25, 2019 NUMBER: I.43 SUBJECT: INMATE COUNT PROCEDURE RELATED SECTIONS: I.64 I.43 INMATE COUNT PROCEDURE Page 2 of 3 #19//09 II. INMATE COUNT REQUIREMEN TS A. If any of the above listed counts are conducted in conjunction with a s afety check, the proce dures articulated in Detention Policy and Procedure I.64 will be followed. B. During hard counts, verification of the inmate's identity will be done by comparing the wristband picture to the inmate and matching the booking number to the hard count method used. The watch commander is responsible for ensuring all counts are performed. Each facility shall develop a green sheet outlining procedures for these counts. 1. Day hard count Inmates in facility court holding cells at the tim e of day hard count will be accounted for using paper court lists. The paper court list will be archived with the housing count sheets for each facility. 2. Night hard count If JIMS is unavailable to verify count, the watch commander may direct any of the remaining hard count methods be utilized to confirm the count. The watch commander will make a notation in the Watch Commander’s Log. C. Three soft counts are required daily. D. E. During an emergency, the watc h commander will direct one of the hard count methods be performed to verify the inmates in the facility . Depending on the circumstances, the watch commander may direct a head count be conducted first to quickly determine if an inmate(s) is mis sing. F. If an escape is suspected and the escape route is known, the watch commander may initially focus the count efforts in that area. However, a facility hard count will be completed as soon as practical. III. DISCREPANCIES Any discrepancies in the count shall be immediately resolved. If the discrepancy cannot be resolved, the watch commander shall be notified immediately. I.43 INMATE COUNT PROCEDURE Page 3 of 3 #19//09 IV. RANDOM COUNTS Unscheduled, random inmate counts should be conducted periodically, at the discretio n of the watch commander or designee . V. DOCUMENTATION All scheduled/non -scheduled counts will be documented in JIMS and all count sheets or lists (e.g., floor count , court lists, etc.) used will be archived in accordance with the depart ment records management plan.