Free BSCC Corrections Practices and Procedures Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is most important for preventing riots or other disturbances?
- Regularly practicing a well-planned crisis intervention plan
- Regular group talks given to inmates by the warden or other authority figures
- Consistent enforcement of rules and regulations (Correct answer)
- Fast and detailed reporting of inmate infractions
Correct answer: Consistent enforcement of rules and regulations
Explanation: <br> There are many factors that go into maintaining a calm and safe environment in a correctional institution, and one of the most important is that rules and regulations must be consistently enforced. Laxity, favoritism, and other forms of inconsistency can lead to anger and resentment and should be avoided at all costs.
Question 2: Are inmates allowed to smoke?
- Yes
- No
- They may smoke in their cells, but not in common areas.
- The answer varies by jurisdiction. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The answer varies by jurisdiction.
Explanation: <br> Rules about cigarette smoking and other tobacco use vary by jurisdiction. Until not long ago, virtually all jails and prisons in the United States allowed inmates (and staff) to smoke. Concerns about rising healthcare costs for both smokers and non-smokers led many states to ban smoking in correctional institutions, starting a few decades ago. More than half of the 50 states currently ban smoking, and that number is expected to keep rising.
Question 3: Which of the following is NOT a valid method of rewarding or punishing inmates?
- Solitary confinement
- Time off for good behavior
- Loss of inmate privileges
- Blocking mail from an inmate's attorney (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Blocking mail from an inmate's attorney
Explanation: <br> Inmates have a right to communicate with their attorneys, and correctional institutions may not block mail to or from an inmate's lawyer. Doing so would be an unconstitutional form of punishment. The other choices are all valid methods for rewarding or punishing inmates.
Question 4: While making rounds, you recognize a new inmate as a friend from high school you later lost contact with. You have not seen him in nearly 10 years. What should you do?
- Nothing, as this sort of thing happens from time to time
- Notify your supervisor (Correct answer)
- Acknowledge the inmate in some way
- Offer to show him how to stay out of trouble
Correct answer: Notify your supervisor
Explanation: <br> If you come across an inmate you know while working in corrections, you should immediately inform your direct supervisor. This includes close relatives, distant relatives, current friends, friends you have not seen for years, friends you have had a falling out with, former co-workers, and all other past and present acquaintances. The potential for a conflict of interest is high in a situation like this, and failing to notify your supervisor immediately could lead to disciplinary action.
Question 5: What should you do in the case of a prisoner who is unconscious and might be having a heart attack?
- Call for medical assistance and begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
- Call for medical assistance, skip mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and give chest compressions at a rate of 50 per minute
- Call for medical assistance, skip mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and give chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute (Correct answer)
- Inform your supervisor and do nothing until medical assistance arrives
Correct answer: Call for medical assistance, skip mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and give chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute
Explanation: <br> You should request medical assistance and immediately begin giving chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute. This is the general rule, but there could be times when you might have to ignore the rule if following it might endanger you, another officer, or other inmates.
Question 6: An inmate is entitled to have his rights read to him in which of the following situations?
- When he is separated from other inmates and questioned about criminal activity. (Correct answer)
- When an undercover officer is put in his cell posing as a fellow inmate.
- Every time his cell is searched for contraband, even if his cellmate is the suspect.
- Every morning at first head count.
Correct answer: When he is separated from other inmates and questioned about criminal activity.
Explanation: <br> You are not required to read an inmate his rights when you are carrying out the day-to-day activities of a correctional institution, such as headcount or cell searches for contraband. Undercover officers posing as inmates are also not required to reveal what they are doing. But if an inmate is separated from the rest of the inmate population and questioned about criminal activity, this is considered an interrogation, and that inmate is entitled to a reading of his rights before it begins.
Question 7: What is the main function of disciplinary actions against inmates?
- Teaching the inmate a lesson
- Maintaining order in the institution (Correct answer)
- Establishing a degree of vengeance
- Rehabilitation of the inmate
Correct answer: Maintaining order in the institution
Explanation: <br> The main function of disciplinary action is to maintain order in the institution. It should never be used to exact vengeance or "teach someone a lesson." Also, while disciplinary action is not primarily designed to rehabilitate inmates, such rehabilitation may occur in some inmates as a result of maintaining order.
Question 8: Dealing with inmates with which of these conditions would NOT require extra precautions to protect the health of officers and fellow inmates?
- Hepatitis C
- AIDS
- Cancer (Correct answer)
- Avian flu
Correct answer: Cancer
Explanation: <br> Cancer is neither infectious nor contagious. All of the other health conditions listed can possibly be spread to others, so proper precautions must be taken to protect the health of officers and other inmates. Your institution will have detailed policies and procedures for handling such situations.
Question 9: What is the purpose of a shadow board?
- To keep track of officer assignments
- To make preventing escape attempts easier
- To make noticing missing tools easier (Correct answer)
- To keep track of the progress of union grievances
Correct answer: To make noticing missing tools easier
Explanation: <br> Tools can be used as weapons against officers or other inmates and can be used to help facilitate an escape attempt. For this reason, they are kept on wall boards with an outline of each tool drawn around its storage position. This makes it instantly obvious when a tool goes missing.
Question 10: What is the limit on how many times a month an inmate is allowed to meet with his attorney?
- A maximum of five times
- A maximum of 10 times
- A maximum of once a month
- There is no maximum (Correct answer)
Correct answer: There is no maximum
Explanation: <br> The right to counsel is a fundamental constitutional right, and correctional institutions may not infringe upon it. This does not mean that an inmate can force a jail or prison to allow him to meet with his attorney at 3:00 in the morning, or meet with him every day for hours on end on a regular basis. However, there may be times when an inmate needs to spend a lot of time with his attorney, and institutions cannot have arbitrary policies that interfere, such as a maximum number of meetings per month.
Question 11: How often should keys, tools, and other equipment be inventoried?
- Once a week
- Once a day
- At every shift change (Correct answer)
- Every two hours
Correct answer: At every shift change
Explanation: <br> Each officer is responsible for his keys, tools, and equipment issued to him during his shift. In order to keep track of them, they must be accounted for at the beginning and end of every shift. If something is missing, the supervisor must be notified at once. An officer should never falsely sign off on a short count.
Free BSCC Corrections Practices and Procedures Questions and Answers
Which of the following is most important for preventing riots or other disturbances?