CO Situational Judgment Scenarios 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a routine count, you notice one inmate is lying unusually still and unresponsive in his bunk. What is your FIRST action?
- Call for medical staff immediately and wait at the door
- Enter the cell and attempt to wake the inmate (Correct answer)
- Mark the count as complete and notify your supervisor at shift change
- Skip the cell and recount after completing the housing unit
Correct answer: Enter the cell and attempt to wake the inmate
You must immediately assess the inmate's condition by entering the cell, as an unresponsive inmate may require emergency medical intervention.
Question 2: An inmate approaches you and offers information about a planned escape in exchange for a transfer to a better housing unit. How should you handle this?
- Promise the transfer to get the information, then report it to your supervisor
- Decline the deal but listen to the information and report it through proper channels (Correct answer)
- Ignore the inmate since informants are generally unreliable
- Tell the inmate you will consider it and report only if the information is verified
Correct answer: Decline the deal but listen to the information and report it through proper channels
Officers must never make unauthorized promises but should always receive and report security-relevant information through the proper chain of command.
Question 3: You witness a fellow officer using excessive force on a restrained inmate. What should you do?
- Intervene verbally to stop the excessive force and report the incident to your supervisor (Correct answer)
- Look away to avoid becoming involved in a colleague's disciplinary matter
- Wait until after your shift to informally mention it to the officer
- Support your colleague and say nothing to protect staff unity
Correct answer: Intervene verbally to stop the excessive force and report the incident to your supervisor
Officers have a duty to intervene when witnessing excessive force and must report the incident through official channels regardless of who is involved.
Question 4: An inmate in general population tells you he is feeling suicidal. He begs you not to tell anyone because he doesn't want to go to the mental health unit. What do you do?
- Respect his privacy and monitor him closely yourself without reporting
- Promise confidentiality to build trust, then report after your shift
- Immediately notify your supervisor and mental health staff regardless of his request (Correct answer)
- Tell him to speak with the chaplain instead
Correct answer: Immediately notify your supervisor and mental health staff regardless of his request
Suicidal statements must always be reported immediately to prevent harm — confidentiality does not apply to safety-threatening disclosures.
Question 5: While patrolling, you find a sharpened piece of metal hidden in a drain near the laundry area. What is your proper response?
- Remove it quietly to prevent panic and dispose of it at end of shift
- Leave it in place and watch to see who retrieves it
- Secure the area, preserve the contraband as evidence, and immediately notify your supervisor (Correct answer)
- Give it to the housing unit officer to log at his convenience
Correct answer: Secure the area, preserve the contraband as evidence, and immediately notify your supervisor
Discovered weapons must be treated as evidence, the scene secured, and a supervisor notified immediately per contraband protocols.
Question 6: An inmate requests a specific medication that is not listed in his approved medical file. He claims the nurse forgot to update the records. What should you do?
- Administer the medication since the inmate seems credible
- Deny the request and tell the inmate to submit a sick call slip
- Contact medical staff to verify and defer to their decision on medication dispensing (Correct answer)
- Tell the inmate you will check his file yourself and handle it
Correct answer: Contact medical staff to verify and defer to their decision on medication dispensing
Medication decisions must always be made by licensed medical personnel — officers should contact medical staff to resolve any discrepancies.
Question 7: During a cell search, you find a letter that appears to be coded and may reference gang activity, but you are not certain. What do you do?
- Return it to the inmate since you cannot prove it is gang-related
- Keep the letter for yourself to study and decode over time
- Confiscate the letter, document the find, and forward it to intelligence staff for review (Correct answer)
- Destroy the letter so it cannot be used against the inmate unfairly
Correct answer: Confiscate the letter, document the find, and forward it to intelligence staff for review
Potentially coded communications should be confiscated as contraband, documented, and referred to the intelligence or security threat group unit for analysis.
CO Situational Judgment Scenarios 2
During a routine count, you notice one inmate is lying unusually still and unresponsive in his bunk.
What is your FIRST action?