Individuals who are arrested, are sent to a correctional facility for housing. Once they have been admitted into the doors of that facility, they are put through a process. The process can take several days to complete and will help to facility understand that inmate. Once the inmate has completed the lengthy intake process, they will be classified into the system.
On the first day of intake, an inmate will be fingerprinted, picture taken, and identification will be revealed and put into the prison database. The inmate will get an identification tag with their assigned ID number. Mental and medical health evaluations will be administered for the inmate to find out important medical history and current diagnosis. An interview with the inmate will be done to evaluate the level of a security threat the inmate is to the facility.
Over the next week, the intake process may continue to determine all areas of information regarding the inmate. “Tests will be administered using paper and pencil to determine the inmate’s intelligence, educational status, psychological status, and a screening for alcohol and drugs” . Inmates will go through a complete physical screening such as vision, dental, and a physical. They will be tested for TB and may require further medical testing depending on age and history.
The next process the inmate will be going through is classification. To determine the appropriate classification for each inmate, there medical, treatment and mental evaluations will be examined. The case files will be included in determining the classification of inmates. An interview will be given to the inmate to help further understand the classification needed. After a thorough examination of all the given information about the inmate, there will be a report written up. This report will explain what classification the inmate belongs in. It will include any type of assessments, treatments, or threats that could be potential with each inmate. The complete process takes about a week because of the extensive evaluation that needs to be conducted.
Reference
Thigpen, M. (2004). Assessing Needs and Classifying Prisoners. U.S. Department of Justice, 1-98.
