A: Admission to the Facility
Policy Statement 8: Development of Intake Procedure
Ensuring successful re-entry requires understanding the relationship between the events that mark the beginning of a person's incarceration and those that mark the person's release into the community. The collection of extensive information about an individual upon his or her admission to a correctional facility lays the foundation for all the programming, services, and decisions that follow. Most immediately, this information will guide the programming plan for the individual during his or her incarceration (Policy Statement 9, Development of Programming Plan); but information gathered during the intake process will also focus release decisionmaking and transition planning (see Policy Statement 17, Advising the Releasing Authority, and Policy Statement 25, Development of Supervision Strategy for more on using compiled information at critical decision points in the corrections continuum).
Recommendations in this policy statement are organized into four parts. "Inventory of Policies and Procedures" provides a basic introduction to the assessment and screening process. This portion advises an institution to examine and, where appropriate, streamline its existing procedures. It also includes a chart outlining the different stages in the intake process. "Ensuring the Safety of Staff, Inmates, and Dependents" addresses the screening and assessments that are performed quickly to preserve security and to manage immediate risks upon admission. "Informing the Programming Plan" addresses the subsequent, more extensive assessments that should follow the initial round of screening. In general, these assessments provide the basis for determining what programming, services, and structure will help ensure the safety of the individual and the community when he or she is released. Finally, "Keys to Effective Screening and Assessment" addresses other issues that should be considered in developing an assessment process, ideally for both short- and long-term assessments.
Recommendations:
- A.
- Review intake procedures to determine the range and validity of screening and assessment practices.
- B.
- Ensure that the screening and assessment process is appropriately prioritized, and that the overall intake procedure is streamlined and efficient.
- C.
- Develop an intake procedure appropriate to a short-term jail setting.
- D.
- Employ a risk-assessment instrument for classification and integrate other available public safety information.
- E.
- Screen all offenders for psychological and mental health issues, physical health problems, or substance abuse and dependency, in order to identify inmates who require further assessment.
- F.
- Ensure that the unattended dependents, if any, of each individual admitted to the facility are placed with a caretaker.
- G.
- Assess long-term and dynamic risks associated with each individual admitted to prison or jail.
- H.
- Conduct comprehensive assessments for each individual whose screening identifies psychological and mental health issues, physical health problems, and substance abuse and dependency.
- I.
- Assess interpersonal skills and basic literacy.
- J.
- Determine the vocational aptitudes, education levels, and employment histories of all sentenced individuals.
- K.
- Review the individual's current benefits and entitlements and determine what steps will be needed to transition the individual back to those programs upon release.
- L.
- Assess all assets and debts and work with inmates to prevent the build-up of child support arrears upon their admission to a correctional facility.
- M.
- Chart the inmate's family life, including such factors as domestic violence, the impact of incarceration on relationships, and the involvement of children.
- N.
- Encourage the use of only validated screening and assessment instruments in the intake procedure.
- O.
- Encourage the use of instruments that can be modified for use beyond the initial assessment.
- P.
- Ensure that intake staff are properly trained to administer screening and assessment instruments.
- Q.
- Engage community-based service providers to inform assessments and to administer screening and assessment instruments.
- R.
- Address issues of cultural competency through staff training and the engagement of community-based providers.
- S.
- Assess the special needs of female offenders.
- T.
- Develop protocols to ensure the accuracy and availability of information while adhering to laws and regulations that govern the confidentiality of this data.
- U.
- Explain to prisoners the purpose and function of the screening and assessment process and the extent to which the information will be shared.