C.01.01 Receiving a Prisoner (National Procedure)

Procedure Standard

• Each prisoner is lawfully recieved within prison muster levels with their documents and property accurately processed

Requirements

• R1 Validating Warrants
• R2 Manual Register
• R3 Reception Checklists
• R4 Completing a Reception Information Checklist
• R5 Corpus Receipts
• R6 Calculating Release Dates
• R7 Calculating and Reviewing Remand Time
• R8 Checking Information is Correctly entered into IOMS (Local Requirement)
• R9 Prisoner photographs on IOMS

Procedure

1. The prisoner arrives at the prison.
2. A check is carried out to ensure that reception of the prisoner does not exceed agreed muster levels.
3. Where reception of the prisoner would exceed the agreed maximum muster level, the issue is immediately documented and referred to the Prison Manager for prompt action.
4. Where the prisoner's reception would not exceed the agreed maximum muster level, the warrant(s) / order(s) are checked to ensure that warrant / order requirements are complied with.
5. Where the warrant(s) / order(s) does not meet warrant requirements and the prisoner has been sent by a court, the prisoner remains in the custody of the delivering agent together with the papers.
6. If the prisoner has been transferred and the existing prisoner file has not accompanied the prisoner, liaison is undertaken with the receiving officer to rectify any concerns.
7. If a prisoner appears to have been injured or assaulted, the health unit examines and treats the prisoner and documents and photographs his / her physical condition.
8. The prisoner is strip searched.
9. The prisoner's property is checked, documented and receipted in accordance with PPM B.11 – Prisoner Property
10. Discussions are held with the prisoner to ensure completion of the required checklists.
11. Receiving officer consults with Unit Manager, Movement Coordinator to assign the prisoner's placement.
12. Central muster control point, administration support, health unit and kitchen are advised of the prisoner's arrival and placement as soon as practicable on the same day as completion of reception procedure for the prisoner.
13. The required details are entered into IOMS and the manual register.
14. Where information is unable to be entered into IOMS immediately, through computer downtime or number of prisoners to be processed at once, a Temporary Reception Data Form is prepared. (C.01.01.F2)
15. Details from the Temporary Reception Data Form are entered into IOMS as soon as practicable, and the reception data form is attached to the prisoner's file.
16. The prisoner's time spent in pre-sentence detention is calculated and entered on the Warrant and the prisoner is given a copy of the Warrant together with the Notification of Review of Remand Time Form. C01.01.F3
17. Time spent in pre-sentence detention includes time spent in police jails and/or hospitals and Social Welfare/Child Youth and Family Service Residences.
18. When a prisoner is sentenced the amount of pre-sentence detention applicable to each sentence must be determined and deducted in the following way:
          When an offender is subject to 2 or more concurrent sentences:
    • The amount of pre-sentence detention applicable to each sentence must be determined and
    • The amount of pre-sentence detention that is deducted from each sentence must be the amount determined in relation to that sentence.
19. When the offender is subject to 2 or more cumulative sentences that make a notional single sentence, any pre-sentence detention that relates to the cumulative sentences may be deducted only once from the notional single sentence.
20. The prisoner's statutory release date (SRD), and parole eligibility date (PED) where applicable, are calculated and the prisoner informed.
21. If offender has been in prison before, reactivate any escapes that are listed in the history screen.  The review date for the historical escape should then be altered to the new SRD or existing FRD of the current sentence or Remand End Date for a remand prisoner.
22. IOMS calculated statutory release dates and parole eligibility dates are verified on a sample of at least one in every 25 receptions.
23. Where an IOMS calculated statutory release date and parole eligibility date (where applicable) are verified, the details of the verification are recorded on the manual register in accordance with C.01.01.R2.
24. Receiving Officer completes form C.01.01.F7– Notification of Sentence to Chief Registrar of Electors and forwards it to the Chief Registrar within 7 days of the prisoner's reception. This form is completed in every case where a person is sentenced to imprisonment to serve part or all of their sentence.
25. All prisoners received into prison who have been granted leave by the Court to apply for home detention, and all prisoners who are eligible for parole, are to be supplied with the Community Probation Service information sheet C.01.01.F8 Home Detention - Finding Suitable Housing.
    Note: This provides prisoners with important information regarding the requirements for suitable accommodation for the purpose of home detention.
26. Where the prisoner has been received from another prison or psychiatric prison or if the offender is already sentenced the prisoner’s existing file is updated. If the prisoner has been received from Court or other agency a new file is made up.
27. When either a Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003 section 23 or a section 35 Order is received directing the Prison Manager of the prison to detain the offender, a Receiving Officer must immediately contact the Registrar or a Deputy Registrar of the Court which issued the order and advise that the prison is not a secure facility for the purpose of the Act.
28. The Receiving Officer should request that a new amended Order be issued ordering the offender's detention by the Director of an appropriate secure facility.
29. If the offender arrived at the prison at the same time as the incorrect Order, upon receipt of an amended / new Order from the Court, arrangements should be made for the offender to be transported to the secure facility named on the Order.
30. All PECCS staff are alert to the issue and do not transport offenders subject to section 23 or section 35 Orders for Inquiries to a prison.
31. The prisoner's file is forwarded to the relevant unit manager who checks to verify all required documents are in order and completes required actions.
32. Judges’ Sentencing Notes are called for, and are read on receipt and checked against the warrants of commitment information that has been loaded onto IOMS, with any anomalies checked with the appropriate court as soon as possible.
    Note: The Department has an 'Agreement of Services' with the Department of Courts that all Judges' sentencing notes will be provided to PS within 10 days. It is a requirement that sites ensure this agreement is implemented at a local level. Sentencing notes are required for a number of reasons, including: Sentence Planning / Management, Administration of the Sentence and Management of Offenders At-Risk to Themselves.
33. All information entered on IOMS relating to the prisoner’s sentence(s) and time spent on pre-sentence detention (remand) is checked in accordance with the local requirement (C.01.01.R8).

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Prison Manager

1. Decides action where muster level would be exceeded.
2. Approves local requirement for checking that correct sentence/pre-sentence detention information has been entered into IOMS. (C01.01.R8)

Unit Manager

1. Check warrants, release dates and further appointments.
2. Inform prisoner of their statutory release date, and parole eligibility date (where applicable).
3. Check prisoner file and complete required actions.
4. Ensure that information contained in “First Days” is brought to the prisoner’s attention, including the information about seeing their lawyer about appeal rights

Receiving Officer

1. Liaise with courts, police and other prisons to identify potential arrivals.
2. Communicate with health unit to examine, treat and document injuries and assaults where warranted.
3. Ensures warrants are valid.
4. Reads Judges’ Sentencing Notes on receipt and checks against the warrant of commitment information that has been loaded onto IOMS, with any anomalies checked with the appropriate court as soon as possible.
5. Arrange strip searches.
6. Complete checklists and carry out required actions.
7. Complete Chief Registrar of Electors Form (C.01.01.F7) and forward to the Chief Registrar within 7 days of reception.
8. Arrange placement and refer prisoner reception information to central point, administration, health and kitchen.
9. Calculate prisoner pre-sentence detention (remand time).
10. Inform prisoner of pre-sentence detention (remand time) and statutory release date and parole eligibility date (where applicable).
11. Ensure prisoner's time spent in pre-sentence detention is entered on the Warrant and the prisoner is given a copy of the Warrant together with the Notification of Review of Remand Time Form.