SOP_NUMBER: 205.02
TITLE: Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders
REFERENCE_CODE: IIA07-0002
DIVISION: Facilities Division
TOPIC_AREA: 205 Policy-Facilities Personnel/Standards/Training
EFFECTIVE_DATE: 2019-12-09
WORD_COUNT: 728
POWERDMS_URL: https://public.powerdms.com/GADOC/documents/106021
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/205.02/

SUMMARY:
This policy establishes conduct standards for GDC employees regarding their interactions and dealings with offenders. It prohibits unauthorized personal associations, business transactions, correspondence, and exchange of items of value with offenders without written approval from the Director of Field Operations and Assistant Commissioner of Facilities. The policy also sets standards for professional communication with offenders, requiring they be addressed respectfully by their last names while prohibiting use of offender numbers, nicknames, first names, ethnic slurs, or profanity.

KEY_TOPICS: employee conduct, offender contact, business dealings with inmates, personal association with offenders, prohibited transactions, contraband, offender correspondence, professional deportment, facility security, staff integrity, addressing inmates, craft stores, hobby work authorization

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|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
|---|---|---|
|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|
|**Policy Number:** 205.02|**Effective Date:** 12/09/2019|**Page Number:** 1 of 4|
|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner<br>|**Originating Division:** <br>Facilities Division <br>|**Access Listing:**<br>Level II: Required Offender<br>Access<br>|


**I.** **Introduction and Summary:**







Minimum standards of conduct will be established for each employee or category of
employees. Each employee shall be required to meet or exceed these standards. It shall
be the policy of the Department that GDC employees and offenders assigned to GDC
will adhere to these procedures pertaining to contact or business dealings between
employees and offenders.


**II.** **Authority:**

A. O.C.G.A.: 42-5-16 and 42-5-18;

B. GDC Board Rules: 125-2-1-.01, 125-2-1-.07, 125-3-2-.06 (3) and 125-4-6-.03;

C. GDC Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 202.03, Operation of Offender Craft

Stores; and

D. ACA Standard: 4-4063.

**III.** **Definitions:**

None.

**IV.** **Statement of Policy and Applicable Procedures:**

A. Contacts Concerning Offenders:


1. Any employee who is contacted with an attempt to exert influence concerning:


a. A transfer of an offender; or

b. The status and assignment of an offender within a facility must document

and report such a contact immediately to his or her supervisor.


B. Performance of Duty:


1. Employees shall not, without expressed written approval of the Director of

Field Operations and Assistant Commissioner of Facilities, maintain:


|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
|---|---|---|
|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|
|**Policy Number:** 205.02|**Effective Date:** 12/09/2019|**Page Number:** 2 of 4|
|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner<br>|**Originating Division:** <br>Facilities Division <br>|**Access Listing:**<br>Level II: Required Offender<br>Access<br>|



a. Personal association with;

b. Engage in personal business or trade with;

c. Engage in non-job-related correspondence with; or

d. Correspond in behalf of or for, known offenders, active probationers or

parolees.

2. Relatives of offenders shall also be covered by this policy and procedure;

3. Conduct and deportment (behavior) shall be consistent at all times with that

expected of law enforcement personnel;

4. Custody of offenders and security of the facility shall be the primary

responsibility of all facility personnel;

5. All employees are specifically prohibited by Georgia Law and Departmental

policy from:


a. Giving;

b. Receiving;

c. Selling;

d. Buying;

e. Trading;

f. Bartering; or

g. Exchanging anything of value with any offender without the consent of the

Warden/Superintendent of the facility in which such offender is housed.


|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
|---|---|---|
|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|
|**Policy Number:** 205.02|**Effective Date:** 12/09/2019|**Page Number:** 3 of 4|
|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner<br>|**Originating Division:** <br>Facilities Division <br>|**Access Listing:**<br>Level II: Required Offender<br>Access<br>|



6. It shall be unlawful for any person to obtain or procure for or give to an

offender:


a. A gun;

b. A pistol; or any other weapon;

c.  Intoxicating liquor;

d. Amphetamines;

e. Bi-amphetamines, or any other hallucinogenic drugs;

f. Other drugs, regardless of the amount; or

g. Any other article or item.


C. Crafts and Hobbies:


1. With approval of the Warden or Superintendent, and within prescribed

limitations, offenders may pursue hobby craft work during their free time; and

2. Arts and crafts items produced by such offenders may be made available for

purchase by staff and members of the public from an offender craft store as
provided in SOP 202.03.

D.  Addressing Offenders:


1. Personal integrity is required of all employees when addressing offenders;

2. Offenders are to be addressed by their last names to:


a. Preserve their individual identity; and

b. To ensure their personal dignity.


|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
|---|---|---|
|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|**Policy Name:**Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders|
|**Policy Number:** 205.02|**Effective Date:** 12/09/2019|**Page Number:** 4 of 4|
|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner<br>|**Originating Division:** <br>Facilities Division <br>|**Access Listing:**<br>Level II: Required Offender<br>Access<br>|



3. Offenders shall not be addressed by:


a. Their offender number;

b. Nicknames; or

c. First names.

4. The use of ethnic or racially derogatory words/names toward or in the presence

of offenders is strictly prohibited; and

5. Profanity should not be directed toward offenders.

**V.** **Attachments:**

None.


**VI.** **Record Retention of Forms Relevant to this Policy:**

None.