SOP_NUMBER: 211.06
TITLE: In-House Transitional Center Dorms (ITC)
REFERENCE_CODE: IIB16-0002
DIVISION: Facilities Operations
TOPIC_AREA: 211 Policy-Special Housing
EFFECTIVE_DATE: 2015-07-10
WORD_COUNT: 1779
POWERDMS_URL: https://public.powerdms.com/GADOC/documents/106168
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/211.06/
SUMMARY:
This policy establishes the In-House Transitional Center (ITC) program, a specialized housing unit designed to prepare eligible inmates for successful reentry into society. The program targets inmates sentenced under SB441 (two strikes law), SB440 (juveniles sentenced as adults), and inmates within 18 months of their maximum release date or tentative parole month. Inmates in the ITC receive targeted reentry programs and services to reduce recidivism risk.
KEY_TOPICS: In-House Transitional Center, ITC dorms, reentry programming, pre-release preparation, SB441 two strikes, SB440 juvenile sentencing, specialized housing, maximum release date, tentative parole month, TPM, program coordinator, COMPAS assessment, career planning, substance abuse screening, TCUDS, vocational assessment, SAGE, TABE testing, inmate transitional housing
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Career Plan (Attachment 1)
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/211.06-att-1/
2. In-House Transition Center (ITC) Action Plan
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/211.06-att-2/
========================================================================
FULL TEXT:
========================================================================
|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
|---|---|---|
|**`Functional Area: `**
`FACILITIES OPERATIONS`|**`Reference Number: `**
`IIB16-0002`
`(211.06)`|**`Revises`**
**`Previous`**
**`Effective Date:`**
`9/15/10`|
|**`Subject:`**
`IN-HOUSE TRANSITIONAL`
`CENTER DORMS (ITC)`|||
|**`Authority:`**
`Bryson/Ward`|**`Effective Date:`**
`07/10/15`|`Page`**`1`**` of`
**`7 `**|
```
I. POLICY:
The selection of inmates for the In-House Transitional Centers
(ITC) shall be inmates originally sentenced under SB441 (two
strikes and you are out), SB440 (juveniles sentenced as
adults), and inmates with Maximum Release Dates or Tentative
Parole Months (TPM) within 18 months of release. Those inmates
shall be identified and placed in a specialized housing unit
at selected state facilities for delivery of programs targeted
at preparing them for successfully re-entering society with a
reduced risk of returning to prison.
II. APPLICABILITY:
All state, county, and private prisons housing targeted
inmates
III. RELATED DIRECTIVES:
O.C.G.A. 17-10-6.1, 15-11-28(b)(2)(A)
IV. DEFINITIONS:
A. SB441 : A bill enacted into law effective January 1, 1995
now codified as O.C.G.A. 17-19-6.1. Better known as “two
strikes and you are out,”SB441 requires that anyone
convicted of any of the seven serious violent felonies
(also known as seven deadly sins) must serve a minimum of
ten years in prison without parole. Any sentences handed
down by the court beyond ten years are also not eligible
for parole. Anyone convicted of a second “deadly sin”
receives a mandatory sentence of life without parole.
```
|Functional Area:
FACILITIES OPERATIONS|Prev. Eff. Date:
9/15/10|Page 2 of
7|
|---|---|---|
|`Functional Area:`
`FACILITIES OPERATIONS`|`Effective Date:`
`07/10/15`|`Reference Number:`
`IIB16-0002`
`(211.06)`|
```
B. SB440 : A bill enacted into law effective January 1,1995
now codified as O.C.G.A. 15-11-28(b)(2)(A) gives the
superior court exclusive jurisdiction over children ages
13-17 who are alleged to have committed one of the “seven
deadly sin.”
C. Seven Deadly Sins: The “serious violent felonies” are:
Murder or Felony Murder, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Rape,
Aggravated Child Molestation, Aggravated Sodomy, and
Aggravated Sexual Battery.
D. In-House Transitional Center (ITC) : A housing unit of
varied size housing only the inmates assigned to this
program.
E. Volunteers : Individuals or groups with specific knowledge
and skills who provide services or resources within their
area of expertise.
F. COMPAS : The Correctional Offender Management Profiling
for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS) is an automated,
statistically based assessment instrument designed to
assess key risk and criminogenic need factors for
correctional populations. COMPAS is used for developing
case plans for placement, supervision and case-management
of offenders.
G. TCUDS: The Texas Christian University Drug Screen (TCUDS)
is a 15-question substance abuse screening device. It is
a self-assessment of an offender’s need and readiness for
substance abuse treatment.
```
H. **`SAGE:`** `The` `System for Assessment and Group Evaluation`
```
(SAGE) measures vocational aptitude, cognitive and
conceptual abilities, vocational interest inventory, work
attitude, temperament factor assessment, learning styles
and work ethics.
I. TABE: Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is a national
assessment examination to determine individual adult
academic achievement.
```
|Functional Area:
FACILITIES OPERATIONS|Prev. Eff. Date:
9/15/10|Page 3 of
7|
|---|---|---|
|`Functional Area:`
`FACILITIES OPERATIONS`|`Effective Date:`
`07/10/15`|`Reference Number:`
`IIB16-0002`
`(211.06)`|
```
J. Interest Profiler: An occupational assessment instrument
used to build a career plan leading to employment.
K. Inmate Career Center: Located within GDC facilities,
staffed with inmates trained as career clerks; contains
resources used to build career/ employment plans.
V. ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Career Plan
Attachment 2 – In-House Transition Center Dorm (ITC) Action
Plan
VI. PROCEDURE:
A. Inmates meeting the criteria of this program shall be
assigned to the specialized housing unit designated for
the In-House Transitional Center. Eligible inmates within
eighteen months of release date, either max or TPM may be
placed in this program.
```
1. `Inmates with no more than eighteen (18) months and`
```
no less than six (6) months remaining on their
sentence may be eligible for In-House Transitional
Center assignment. Approval for assignment of
inmates in the ITC with tentative release dates
beyond the 18-month criteria should be obtained
through the ITC State Coordinator and this approval
shall be noted in SCRIBE.
2. A Program Coordinator will be assigned to the
housing unit program. This person will preferably be
a staff counselor. It is strongly recommended that
the person assigned to this program not carry other
caseload in the institution due to the intensive
nature of the program. The Coordinator/Counselor
will be expected to document once a month in case
notes.
3. The Program Coordinator will provide a monthly
roster to the Institutional Classification Committee
```
|Functional Area:
FACILITIES OPERATIONS|Prev. Eff. Date:
9/15/10|Page 4 of
7|
|---|---|---|
|`Functional Area:`
`FACILITIES OPERATIONS`|`Effective Date:`
`07/10/15`|`Reference Number:`
`IIB16-0002`
`(211.06)`|
```
of eligible candidates for placement in this program
based on their discharge date. Institutional
Classification Committee will then assign eligible
inmates to the designated housing units at
participating facilities. Once an inmate is assigned
to this program, it is considered a mandatory
assignment. Offenders who do not meet the criteria
for the program shall not be placed in the program
dorm unless assigned as a clerk, dorm orderly or
mentor.
4. When determining inmate placement for In-House
Transitional Center, priority will be given to
inmates who are maxing out on their sentence.
Consideration will then be given to those inmates
with TPMs within the identified range. Placement in
the ITC program should never override an inmate
being placed in a Transitional Center or specialty
type program such as RSAT.
5. It is strongly recommended that a closed dormitory
be used for placement of the ITC unit. Many aspects
of the program include increased responsibility and
this is better done in the closed dormitory
environment.
6. All inmates placed in this program must be able to
reside in a general population dorm.
7. Inmates removed from the In-House Transitional
Center for adjustment/disciplinary reasons should be
returned to general population and may be
reconsidered only if referred by the Institutional
Classification Committee. However, all other
alternatives for dealing with the disciplinary
infraction should be explored before removal from
the program.
8. Any inmate in the program, whose TPM date is
adjusted beyond the 18-month criteria, should be
placed back into general population upon the
discretion of the institution. The inmate may
```
|Functional Area:
FACILITIES OPERATIONS|Prev. Eff. Date:
9/15/10|Page 5 of
7|
|---|---|---|
|`Functional Area:`
`FACILITIES OPERATIONS`|`Effective Date:`
`07/10/15`|`Reference Number:`
`IIB16-0002`
`(211.06)`|
```
rejoin the program again when the maximum discharge
or TPM date is back within the 18-month time range.
9. It is strongly recommended that a designated officer
be assigned to the ITC dormitory. The designated
officer will receive specialized ITC staff training.
B. The programs of this specialized unit shall be designed
to address the assessed criminogenic needs, risk, and
responsivity factors of the assigned population as
identified through COMPAS with the intent to accomplish
the major components of this program. All inmates
assigned to this program must participate in their
individual assessed program plan and be assigned to GCI
work, vocational training, OJT, or a specialized work
detail.
1. Incentive programming is also a key part of the ITC
unit. It is expected that each facility will
develop incentives to use with the inmates in the
program.
a. REENTRY: Reentry begins at the offender’s
earliest point of entry to the facility.
Reentry will link clients to program services
necessary for successful transition and
reintegration into the community. Reentry will
increase the community and correctional
capacity to address the offender’s needs and
identify community resources to match assessed
needs. Reentry will link community support and
aftercare for released offenders. Reentry will
collaborate with agencies that provide services
such as mental health, social services, housing
and employment services to affect the lives of
offenders once they are released from custody.
b. EDUCATION: The participants shall enroll in an
appropriate level of education program based on
TABE scores and results with an emphasis to
complete a GED program. TABE will be given if
```
|Functional Area:
FACILITIES OPERATIONS|Prev. Eff. Date:
9/15/10|Page 6 of
7|
|---|---|---|
|`Functional Area:`
`FACILITIES OPERATIONS`|`Effective Date:`
`07/10/15`|`Reference Number:`
`IIB16-0002`
`(211.06)`|
```
they have not had one done in the past year or
if directed by COMPAS.
c. SUBSTANCE ABUSE: All offenders in the ITC
program must complete the state minimum
substance abuse guidelines.
Based on the COMPAS, a referral to the more
advanced programming will be made. The TCUDS
score on all ITC participants will be reviewed
and this noted in SCRIBE.
d. EMPLOYMENT READINESS : The participants shall be
assigned to a work assignment to develop
specific employment skills. Emphasis will be
placed on the concepts of going to work, being
on time and productivity. Employment readiness
will prepare offenders to work in society.
Participants will be oriented and trained in
work ethics, interviewing skills, job
etiquette, payroll and budgeting. The dorm unit
will house a minimum of one computer,
maintaining an in-dorm career center for the
participants. All participants will complete
the Interest Profiler, attached career plan and
a working resume. It is recommended that the
resume and any other documents created in the
career center be saved on disk by the counselor
and placed in the offender’s TOPPSTEP file. The
SAGE will be administered when COMPAS indicates
assessment.
1) Volunteers from the community will be
recruited to deliver specific
presentations to enhance the participants
understanding of current trends and job
opportunities available.
2) Collaboration with other agencies to
conduct career and resource fairs will be
used to enhance education for viable jobs.
All career and resource fairs must be
```
|Functional Area:
FACILITIES OPERATIONS|Prev. Eff. Date:
9/15/10|Page 7 of
7|
|---|---|---|
|`Functional Area:`
`FACILITIES OPERATIONS`|`Effective Date:`
`07/10/15`|`Reference Number:`
`IIB16-0002`
`(211.06)`|
```
approved first through the state
vocational coordinator.
3) Some job placement will be identified
prior to release through a pre-qualified
list of employers.
4) Utilizing the “Interest Profiler”, all
program participants will develop a “Job
Plan” as part of their participating in
the “Career Center”.
e. COGNITIVE/Behavioral Programming : Cognitive behavioral programs will be available to
participants in the specialized unit. These
programs are designed to change criminal
thinking and behavior. These approaches hold
offenders accountable for their behavior with
interventions that are structured and
directive. The counselor will prepare a program
plan based on identified needs and risks of the
offender. COMPAS will be used as an assessment
tool to develop a program plan. Cognitive behavioral curriculum will be determined by
Risk Reduction Services.
C. The Deputy Warden CT or designee will have oversight of
the ITC program to ensure compliance with this policy.
The Warden will ensure that the ITC is a part of the
facility mission and an institutional team concept that
is supported throughout to enhance success in reducing
recidivism and better manage offenders.
VII. Retention Schedule:
A. Attachment 1 of this SOP will be retained in the inmate’s
institutional file.
B. Attachment 2 of this SOP will be maintained in the
inmate’s institutional file.
```