5. Operating Procedures
5.1 Staffing
Staff to Prisoner Ratio
Staff roles
- Custodial staff shall have the same job descriptions as their equivalents in mainstream units, and their performance shall be assessed using the standard Performance Management System.
- Particular emphasis shall be placed on the way officers actively manage prisoners, and on their willingness to accept responsibility and make decisions where appropriate.
- Optimally non Youth Unit trained staff should not be rostered for duty in the Youth Unit and likewise Youth Unit staff should not be rotated through other duties. The normalised environment, which is the key to the unit’s operation, is dependent on stable, trained staff. Similarly staff rotation should ensure that sudden changes of large numbers of staff are avoided.
Staff Recruitment
- Staff employed in the Youth Units shall demonstrate, in addition to the competencies required in mainstream units:
- The ability to work well with youth prisoners.
- A strong desire to work in the Youth Unit.
- A real commitment to the unit’s aims.
- An even temperament and non-aggressive manner with prisoners.
- The willingness and ability to adapt to change.
- The willingness to role-model pro-social attitudes and behaviours.
- A commitment to prison-based offender programmes and willingness to work in partnership with programme providers.
- A suggested procedure for the recruitment process is attached to this document (appendix ‘A’)
Staff Training
- Significant emphasis is placed on building a team atmosphere and sense of identity among all staff that will work in or support the unit.
- Staff training includes:
- Integrated Offender Management Sentence Management
- Team building
- Test of Best Interests (TBI) for Men
- Working with adolescents
- Knowledge of the Focus programme (cognitive skills) and its role in the unit
- Awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) and the associated Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty.
- Cultural awareness and, in particular, an awareness of the Maori “world view”.
- Further training in working with adolescents should be provided on an ongoing basis, as should other training common to staff elsewhere in the prison. If optional unit standards, specifically relating to working with youth, are developed within the Certificate in Offender Management, then unit staff should be encouraged to achieve the standard necessary for qualification. Staff will also be given the opportunity to gain higher levels of skill in respect of TBI and Focus to enable them to carry out assessments and assist in the delivery of programmes.
- Knowledge of the Policies and Procedures and of the Service Standards.
Staff uniform
- Youth Units have their own staff uniform, which is intentionally more casual and less ‘military’ in style than the standard custodial uniform. This uniform is worn by all corrections officers employed in the Unit, the only exception being Employment Instructors, where the nature of their work and OSH requirements mean that other clothing is necessary.
- Youth Unit staff uniform shall consist of the following items, in addition to the standard prison issue uniform:
- Black trousers and walk shorts
- Grey walk socks
- Black shoes
- Grey polo shirts
- Grey fleece jersey
- Black waterproof coat
- Akubra headgear
- Sports wear to include tracksuit top and bottoms, sport shorts and singlet, sports socks and training shoes.
5.2 Prisoner Admission to a Youth Unit
The categories of prisoners which will be admitted to Youth Units are:
- a 16 year old who is not yet 17 years of age remanded to prison for a purely indictable offence (s142(2) of CJAct);
- all 17 year olds remanded to prison;
- all sentenced youth aged 17 years or under (14-17 years inclusive); and
- all 18 and 19 year old vulnerable young adults assessed as suitable following the final placement decision of the TBI.
- The Youth Unit Manager will determine who is accepted into the youth unit. However, a referral can be made to the Assistant Regional Manager by the Youth Unit Manager to consider a TBI placement override.
- The induction process shall include the procedure as stipulated by the PPM and shall also include a guided tour of the entire Youth Unit, to ensure new prisoners are fully aware of which areas are in and out of bounds.
- The standard NARA ‘at risk’ assessment is carried out on admission to the unit.
- The philosophy of the unit to include an overview of the Focus programme, incentive scheme, structured day and unit rules.
- Staff closely monitor new prisoners to spot any difficulties they may be having settling in.
5.3 Prisoner Exit from a Youth Unit
The processes for a prisoner to be exited from Youth Units are:
- when a 14 – 16 year old deemed vulnerable following the completion of a Child, Youth and Family Services Placement Assessment (National Systems form) is transferred to a Child Youth and Family Services Residence in accordance with section 142A of the CJAct;
- when the GMPS grants a specific exemption on a youth prisoner following a written application for expulsion;
- when a TBI is administered on a prisoner 10-14 days prior to their 18th birthday and the final decision is for placement outside a youth unit;
- when a TBI is administered or reviewed on a vulnerable young adult and the final decision is for placement outside a youth unit; and
- when a vulnerable young adult turns 20 years of age.
- A transfer/exit out of the Youth Unit is regarded as a forward step and unit staff should work with the older and more mature prisoners to prepare them for moving on.
- The TBI information is to be considered along with all other information available to the unit staff.
- The exact timing of such transfers takes account of the programmes the prisoner is involved in, to allow completion of these where appropriate.
- The Sentence Management process determines which unit the prisoner should be transferred to, on a case by case basis. The Youth Unit Manager or Principal Corrections Officer (PCO) then discusses this with the Unit Manager of the unit concerned, and also with the prisoner, prior to confirming the transfer / exit.
- The transfer / exit process itself is as for mainstream adult prisoners. The standard NARA ‘at risk’ assessment is carried out on entry to the new unit.
5.4 Prisoner Admission – Inter-region transfers
- The Youth Units are designed to cater for youth and vulnerable young adults from that region and preference should be given to those prisoners.
- Youth units may be operating at full capacity and unable to accept the transfer of a youth or vulnerable young adult. However, the following priority placement for youth units is to be followed:
- prisoners aged 17 years and under from the same region (convicted and accused);
- prisoners aged 17 years and under from another region (convicted and accused);
- convicted (remand and sentenced) vulnerable young adults from the same region;
- accused vulnerable young adults from the same region; and
- vulnerable young adults from outside the region.
- Any inter region transfer should be dealt with on the merits of the individual case.
- Admission to a Youth Unit for a prisoner from another region requires the approval of both the Prison Manager and the Youth Unit Manager.
5.5 Prisoner Management
Interaction with Staff
- Youth Unit staff practise IOM active management principles.
- The Youth Unit is characterised by open communication between staff and prisoners. Officers spend time talking with prisoners and are encouraged to act as coaches, mentors and role models.
- Staff and prisoners address each other by either surname or first name, as appropriate to the situation.
- Staff spend more time with the prisoners than is typical in mainstream units. The prisoners are very aware of the officers’ presence and therefore less likely to engage in undesirable behaviour such as standovers. The increased interaction between staff and prisoners is designed to reinforce dynamic security whilst also modelling pro-social behaviour and setting clear limits around unacceptable behaviour to reinforce Focus and lock in permanent changes in attitude.
Sentence Management
- All Youth Unit prisoners are sentence managed in accordance with Integrated Offender Management processes.
- The Sentence Management process is the same as for mainstream prisoners, entailing a high degree of interaction between the staff and prisoners and the constructive use of time. Monitoring is intense and the unit PCO ensures staff are familiar with each prisoner’s plan.
- Prisoners will be subject to the standard IOM sentence planning and assessment processes followed by mainstream prisoners. The person’s assignment to the unit is based on a structured measure of vulnerability in the same way that other IOM decisions are fact based. However, once they are in the unit they attend all activities.
- In administering the sentence management assessment the Sentence Planners shall complete the assessment at the Youth Unit as opposed to the assessment centre.
Double Cells
- The double cells are used when staff feel it would benefit a prisoner to be “buddied up” with another prisoner. Often this is someone new to the unit. In these situations the staff identify a suitable ‘buddy’ and ask for his assistance.
- The selected ‘buddy’ has the right to say no to this request.
- Buddying up is usually a transitional arrangement lasting only a few days.
At Risk Prisoners
- ‘At risk’ prisoners are moved to ‘at risk’ facilities in the main prison and moved back to the Youth Unit when they are no longer at risk.
- Every effort is made to ensure that prisoners do not come into contact with mainstream prisoners while in the ‘at risk’ facilities. The practicalities of this vary according to local facilities and conditions.
- Procedures for managing Youth Unit prisoners who have moved to the ‘at risk’ facilities are the same as for mainstream units, except that:
- Once the prisoner has been moved to the ’at risk’ cell and given the opportunity to ‘settle in’ a Youth Unit staff member visits in order to reassure them that they will be moved back to the Youth Unit once they are no longer at risk.
- A Youth Unit staff member will visit at least once every two to three days throughout the prisoner’s stay in the ‘at-risk’ facility.
Voluntary Segregation
- When a prisoner requests voluntary segregation, unit staff shall spend time talking with the prisoner to ensure they understand the reason for the request and encourage the prisoner to think over their request. The staff shall consider whether the prisoner actually wants voluntary segregation or simply some ‘time out’. If it appears that the latter is the case and staff approve, then the prisoner should be allowed to withdraw from activities for a period of up to 3 hours. Focus facilitators shall be involved in this process as appropriate.
- If the prisoner still requests segregation, then a recommendation is made by the officer concerned to the Unit Manager or PCO. A separate range of activities should be arranged for the prisoner within the unit.
- Voluntary segregation is to be completed within the youth unit.
Non-voluntary segregation, discipline and sanctions
- Disciplinary procedures and sanctions are the same as those in mainstream units and clear and consistent boundaries of behaviour need to be enforced with clear consequences of crossing the boundaries. However, greater emphasis is placed on talking the problem through with the prisoner with the aim of resolving it other than through a formal Misconduct Report. Custodial officers are encouraged to look at other options, and are under more of an obligation to justify use of a Misconduct Report to the Unit Manager or PCO than is typically the case in mainstream units.
- All disciplinary procedures and sanctions shall comply with legislation and PPM requirements.
- Cell confinement is to be completed within the youth unit.
- Youth unit custodial staff must retain regular contact and minimise the prospect of the prisoner becoming at risk.
- All applications for non-voluntary segregation shall comply with legislation and PPM requirements.
- Non voluntary segregation is to be completed within the youth unit.
- Activities to be considered are as follows:
- Changing cells / wings away from any identified risk
- Changing work streams away from any identified risk
- Counsel the trouble-maker about the consequence of continuing the behaviour
- Establish closer monitoring of the trouble-maker
- Consultation and involvement with the Focus facilitator where practicable.
- A recommendation is then made by the Unit Manager to the Regional Manager or his / her delegate who shall provide a written decision. The decision shall take into account the level of vulnerability of the prisoner, the age of the prisoner, the impact upon the unit as a whole and any other factors that are relevant.
- Custodial staff must retain regular contact and minimise the prospect of the prisoner becoming at risk.
- If a vulnerable young adult prisoner behaves in such a way that his behaviour presents as a risk to others then the Unit Manager will review the TBI placement and may remove the vulnerable young adult from the youth unit.
- If a youth prisoner behaves in such a way that his behaviour has a significantly negative and disruptive impact on the youth unit on an ongoing basis, then the Unit Manager, via the Regional Manager, may recommend to the GMPS that the prisoner be expelled from the youth unit. The removal of a youth prisoner from the youth unit is regarded as a last resort.
5.6 Routines and Procedures
Custody
Unit Operating Capacity
- The operating capacity includes all cells but does not include the second bed in the double cells. These beds are used when required for prisoner management purposes and not in response to muster pressure.
- As a result, a single cell will sometimes become vacant when the Unit is at full muster, if two prisoners are ‘buddied-up’ for management reasons. On a local basis, regions should discuss with their union representatives the possibility of occasionally admitting an additional prisoner to the vacant cell, if this would allow time for transition of another prisoner out of the Unit rather than having to move them at short notice.
Routines & Procedures
- Youth Units operate with extended unlock hours - a target of 15 hours per day.
- The morning ‘assembly’ is used as an opportunity to inform the prisoners of the day’s activities. (including the comings and goings of any visitors to the site), and communicate staff expectations in respect of these.
- Prisoners are regarded as a homogenous group during unlock hours, and not separated on the basis of security classification.
- Similarly, in units with a ‘two-pod’ design, prisoners from both pods are mixed during unlock hours. The exception to this is meal times, where the specifics of site design may require that prisoners from the two pods eat separately.
- The standard ration scale for working and youth prisoners applies in the Youth Units. Additional fruit is available during the day for those with a high workload or who are burning high amounts of energy and facilities should exist for prisoners to prepare snacks during recreational periods to take into account the high levels of energy being used.
- Units may be completely non-smoking areas.
- Youth Units are smoke free units.
- Standard procedures apply in respect of prisoners’ use of the telephone, though Unit staff allow more flexibility, for example if a prisoner needs to contact his parent/guardian/caregiver during daytime hours.
Visits
- The standard mainstream rules relating to visits apply in the Youth Units, but there is flexibility in the extent to which they are applied, since the Unit actively encourages family contact where this is in a prisoner’s best interests. Visits should be used to maximise appropriate family/whanau contact.
- The scheduled visits times are weekend afternoons, but special visits on weekdays are allowed where the circumstances warrant (e.g. for out-of-town visitors), and resources are available to manage the visits.
- Visitors are required to book in advance, since this allows staff to plan alternative activities for prisoners not expecting visitors. Again, some flexibility should be shown in the application of this rule.
Temporary Releases
Medical
- Under 20 year-olds are assessed on arrival at the prison using the standard assessment applied to older prisoners. Further assessment on entry to the Youth Unit is not required as a standard practice.
- Youth Unit prisoners’ medical needs are attended to by the prison’s medical staff. Depending on the local facilities, staffing and the nature of the medical need, medical staff shall visit the unit to provide treatment. Youth Unit prisoners shall only be required to attend a medical centre outside of the Youth Unit if the limited medical facilities available in the unit would hinder the treatment required. In the event of a prisoner being required for treatment outside of the unit the prisoner shall be kept separate from adult prisoners unless supervised by a staff member.
Drug Testing
- Prisoners are randomly drug tested on the same basis as mainstream prisoners, and the same sanctions apply.
- A prisoner under 18 years of age can only be ‘expelled’ from the Youth Unit following a successful application to the GMPS. Units are not able to expel prisoners as a punishment for bad behaviour or IDU status
Escorts
- Where youth are required to be transported to court, hospital or some other external facility, they must be kept physically separate from all other prisoners, including vulnerable young adults.
- Vulnerable young adults will be kept separate from all other adult prisoners as well as youth prisoners when being transported to court, hospital or other external facility.
Media
- Youth Units typically attract intense media interest, with frequent requests for information and filming rights.
- Any media requests should be treated in accordance with Departmental policy, with the added proviso that the age of prisoners be carefully considered in terms of their ability to provide informed consent to interviews.
- Parents / guardians should be consulted to ensure proper consent is obtained.
- When deciding if a prisoner can be interviewed, the Unit Manager must consult with Psychological Service staff supporting the unit, and obtain their views on whether an interview would be appropriate. However, the final decision rests with PS.
5.7 Programmes, Education & Employment
Structured Day Overview
- The core elements of the structured day are the Focus programme (cognitive skills), education, and prisoner employment. The combination of these three activities should average 30 hours per week per prisoner, for 47 weeks of the year.
- The mix of these three elements will generally be 7.5 hours of Focus, 7.5 hours of education, and 15 hours of employment.
- Focus is regarded as providing a foundation for the behavioural changes the Unit aims to achieve, and all prisoners are required to take part, with the exception of any prisoner who is educationally or intellectually unable to participate, and remands. However remands will be encouraged to participate in the programme, and also in the employment and the other activities that are available in the unit.
- Prisoners are actively encouraged to take advantage of the educational opportunities available. There is no ceiling on the level or amount of time a prisoner can devote to education, and they may choose full-time education (and Focus) at the expense of prisoner employment.
- In exceptional circumstances a prisoner may apply to spend more time in employment (and Focus) rather than education. This application should be considered in light of the prisoner’s individual circumstances, and a final decision made by the PCO in consultation with the prisoner’s case officer. (This option is not available to 14 and 15 year-olds, for whom full time schooling is a legal requirement.)
- Vocational training in skills above and beyond those required by the prisoner’s employment may be provided for those who demonstrate potential in a particular field. The extent of this will depend on the practicalities of this and the available funding.
- A standard template for the structured day is appended (appendix ‘B’). The actual timetable at each Unit may vary slightly in response to local conditions and prisoners’ needs.
Focus
- The Focus cognitive skills programme is delivered by Psychological Service with support from PS.
- The facilitation team at each unit includes one or more facilitators and one or more custodial officers dedicated to the co-facilitator role on a full-time basis. Facilitators and co-facilitators are employed by PS, but during the implementation phase, facilitators will be seconded to the Psychological Service.
- Key elements of the facilitator’s role are: setting up processes for the delivery of Focus; delivering the programme; providing staff training and staff awareness training in respect of Focus; participating in monitoring and evaluating the programme.
- Key elements of the co-facilitator’s role include the above, as well as promoting the integration of Focus into the unit’s culture and all other activity within the unit.
- The Unit Manager and PCO work closely with the Focus team to ensure the programme becomes an integral part of all activity in the unit.
- All custodial and non-custodial staff are expected to support the Focus ‘philosophy’ in their speech and behaviour, and encourage prisoners to apply the skills they acquire to all situations.
- Prisoners cycle repeatedly through the programme during their time in the unit. Many of the concepts taught relate to situations youth are required to deal with on a recurring basis as part of daily life. Ongoing participation in the programme encourages prisoners to apply these concepts outside the classroom, over an extended period of time, to the point where the new behaviours become habit. It also reinforces learning by providing continued opportunities to practice the skills acquired and receive constructive feedback on how to develop these further.
Education
- Youth Units will meet the Department’s responsibilities under the Education Act 1989, which requires:
- All under 16 year-olds to be involved in full-time education via enrolment at a registered school, unless a special exemption is granted.
- 16-19 year-olds may also / or undertake secondary education if they so choose.
- Youth Units will operate the following business rules:
- Prisoners aged under 16 undertake secondary education through a registered school
- Prisoners aged 16 – 19 study NCES
- Prisoners aged 16 – 19 may also choose to undertake secondary education in addition to NCES
- Prisoners with identified literacy needs receive literacy tuition.
- The above requirements will be met via enrolment with the Correspondence School. This will be supported with tuition from an appropriately qualified tutor who is based in the unit and an integral part of the team. This support is an essential element of the learning process, since it is unlikely that many prisoners will have either the motivation or the study skills to cope with unsupported correspondence learning.
- Prisoners have their educational needs assessed either before or shortly after entry to the Unit. This assessment provides input into each prisoner’s Sentence Management.
- Prisoners have access to computers and are encouraged to develop their skills in this area. In addition to any access and training available during unlock, prisoners may have controlled access to computers within their cells, even though they are not engaged in an external course requiring computer access. This is designed to replicate as much as possible a normal environment where youth have access to computers at home and school. The only software programmes available will be those supplied by the prison.
Prisoner Employment
- Prisoner employment is supervised by an appropriately qualified instructor who is based in the unit and an integral part of the team.
- Prisoner employment within the Youth Units aims to provide:
- Meaningful employment which encourages prisoners to take pride in their work
- The opportunity to acquire skills which will help them to find employment on release from prison
- Exposure to commercial disciplines such as productivity and quality standards.
- The choice of industry rests with Corrections Inmate Employment, subject to the normal prisoner employment approval process, and consultation with PPS managers.
- The Youth Unit’s approach in respect of health and safety issues will recognise that most prisoners will have little or no experience of the work environment. All prisoners must undergo formal occupational safety and health (OSH) induction training prior to commencing work, followed by a full briefing and familiarisation on the day they commence. Written records of both the training and the familiarisation process must be kept.
- Prisoners who are felt to be unsuitable for the formal employment venture even after extensive training and familiarisation may be employed in other work such as grounds maintenance, where appropriate.
- Youth Unit prisoner employment ventures will aim to strike a balance between providing quality of employment in line with the objectives outlined above, and the reality of the financial costs of the venture. Due to the short working day (an average of three (3) hours per prisoner) and the nature of the prisoner workforce, many of whom have little or no work experience, a conscious decision may be taken that a particular venture operates at sub-optimal financial performance in order to enhance quality of employment and benefits to the prisoners. Such trade-offs shall be identified by CIE when approval is sought for the venture.
Programmes – non-core
- The units actively encourage cultural links with the local community and provide formal tikanga programmes and cultural activity where funding permits.
- Non core programmes and activities (for example parenting skills, life-skills, art, music) will be required as appropriate to the prisoners’ needs, local conditions and available funding.
- Psychological Service should be consulted prior to introduction of other programmes and related activities as it is important that any such programmes and activities reinforce Focus and not compete with it.
- Units may host occasional visits from outside sports teams, providing National Office (Operations) is advised in advance of such events and a thorough planning process is utilised.
Programmes – Substance Abuse Treatment
- Prisoners will be assessed for drug and alcohol treatment needs in the same manner as mainstream prisoners.
- Identified needs will be reflected in prisoner sentence plans, and addressed in line with IOM sentence planning rules.
Church Services
Recreation
- The structured day includes periods of structured recreation with a high level of involvement of staff. The nature of this varies between Units in response to local conditions.
- Where custodial staff are participating in outdoor sports, such as touch rugby, at least one uniformed officer is also present to supervise.
- Where staff are participating in indoor games, such as pool and table tennis, there is no requirement for a uniformed officer to be present to supervise.
5.8 Cost Centres
- Separate cost centres are required as follows:
- Youth Unit Focus, under the Programmes hierarchy
- Youth Unit Education, under the Programmes hierarchy
- Youth Unit Other Programmes, under the Programmes hierarchy
- Youth Unit employment venture, under the Prisoner Employment hierarchy.
