SOP_NUMBER: 219.03
TITLE: Access to Facility Offender Records
REFERENCE_CODE: IIC01-0002
DIVISION: Facilities Division
TOPIC_AREA: 219 Policy-Facilities Records-Case Management
EFFECTIVE_DATE: 2023-03-16
WORD_COUNT: 476
POWERDMS_URL: https://public.powerdms.com/GADOC/documents/106131
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/219.03/

SUMMARY:
This policy establishes rules for controlling access to offender records at GDC facilities, including SCRIBE notes, Institutional Files, and Central Office Files. All requests for offender records must be forwarded to the Office of Legal Services for review, and facilities are prohibited from making copies without Legal Services approval. Offender records are classified as confidential state secrets and must be kept secure in locked cabinets, with access limited to authorized GDC staff and contractors on a need-to-know basis for job-related duties only.

KEY_TOPICS: offender records, SCRIBE notes, Institutional File, Central Office File, confidential records, records access, Legal Services approval, records security, locked file room, need-to-know basis, document requests, records clerk, count procedures, privacy protection

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|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
|---|---|---|
|**Policy Name:** Access to Facility Offender Records|**Policy Name:** Access to Facility Offender Records|**Policy Name:** Access to Facility Offender Records|
|**Policy Number:**219.03|**Effective Date:** 03/16/2023|**Page Number:**1 of 2|
|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Facilities Division|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



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

A. All requests for offender related records (SCRIBE, Institutional File, and Central

Office File) will be immediately forwarded to the GDC Office of Legal Services
for review and processing. Under no circumstances will facilities make copies of
an Offender's Institutional File or SCRIBE notes without the approval of Legal
Services.

B. Facility offender records are intended for the sole use of the Georgia Department

of Corrections and are classified as confidential state secrets. Offender records are
to be kept confidential.

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

A. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 125-1-1-.09 (3), 125-1-2-.02, and 125-2-4-.05;

B. GDC Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): 219.01 Case Management-Records

Maintenance and 221.02 Count Procedures;

C. ACA Standards: 5-ACI-1E-04, 2-CO-1E-07, and 2-CO-1E-08: and

D. O.C.G.A. §42-5-36.

**III.** **Definitions:** None.

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

This policy is applicable to all state, private, and county facilities and centers housing
GDC offenders.

A. Records designated as confidential by law or classified as containing information,

the release of which constitute an invasion of privacy, shall be so protected as to
prevent disclosure of information contained therein.


|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
|---|---|---|
|**Policy Name:** Access to Facility Offender Records|**Policy Name:** Access to Facility Offender Records|**Policy Name:** Access to Facility Offender Records|
|**Policy Number:**219.03|**Effective Date:** 03/16/2023|**Page Number:**2 of 2|
|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Facilities Division|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



B. Requests for copies of documents shall be honored if ordered by an appropriate

court or declassified by the Commissioner or his/her designee.

C. Offenders shall not be permitted to have access to any offender records

(Institutional File or SCRIBE).

D. The offender facility records shall be available to staff of the Georgia Department

of Corrections and authorized contractors on a need-to-know basis and only for
job related duties.

E. All facility offender records shall be maintained in a locked cabinet inside a locked

file/records room. No file/record shall ever be held outside of the file/records room
beyond the close of business of the facility unless the offender is away from the
facility.

F. The records room clerk and the count clerk, each day prior to the 3:00 p.m. - 4:30

p.m. official count, shall reconcile all records with the Master Count per SOP
221.02 Count Procedures. Records that are checked out of the records room shall
be returned to the records room prior to this count.

**V.** **Attachments:** None.


**VI.** **Record Retention of Forms Relevant to this Policy:** None.