TOMPKINS COUNTY JAIL ORIENTATION SEMINAR

1
TOMPKINS COUNTYJAIL ORIENTATIONSEMINAR
Tompkins County Sheriffs Office
Sheriff Peter J. Meskill Chief of Corrections
Debra Niemi
2
WELCOME
The Tompkins County Sheriffs Office, Jail
Division, is looking forward to working with your
organization to better serve the inmate
population of Tompkins County. The
administration and staff of the Tompkins County
Jail are dedicated professionals who are here to
assist you in making your program a success.
3
OBJECTIVES
This orientation was designed to create a
comprehensive understanding as to the
responsibility The Sheriff of Tompkins County has
to you, the professional visitor, while inside
the facility.
It is very important a foundation be
established to better facilitate the needs of
your program that coincides with the operating
procedures of the facility, to assure a safe
and secure environment for everyone.
Your understanding of our procedures and
willingness to operate within them is greatly
appreciated.
4
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

• Chief of Corrections Approval

• Professional Visitors Sign-in Logbook

• Personal Property

• Inmate Contact

• Inmate Behavior

• Contact with Inmates

Sexual Misconduct Sexual Contact Sexual Abuse

• Staff Movement

5
CHIEF OF CORRECTIONSAPPROVAL

• All professional organizations running
• programs inside the facility must submit a list
  of
• participants to the Chief of Corrections for
• approval. This must be done prior to any
• scheduled program start date.
• This approval list is based on criteria
• established by the facility to reasonably
• guarantee that security in the jail will be
• maintained.
• Only those persons approved by the Chief of
• Corrections will be allowed access to the jail to
• administer your program.

6
PROFESSIONAL VISITORS LOGBOOK

• Logbook is located in the main entrance to
  the jail

• It is the responsibility of each visitor to
  LEGIBLY sign in
• upon entering the jail and sign out upon
  departing the
• jail.

• PASS Alarm - This is a devise used by the
  visitor to
• alert jail staff of a potential and/or
  emergency situation
• that has developed during your program.
  It will bring an
• immediate response to your location, by
  jail staff, when
• activated.

7
PERSONAL PROPERTY

• Is any item that belongs to you, NOT
• APPROVED TO BE BROUGHT INTO THE
• JAIL. Usual items include coats, hats,
  purses,
• electronic devices, pens, pencils, paper or
  any
• type of weapon.

• No personal letters, mail or notes can be
  brought into
• the jail and given to the inmates unless
  approved by
• the Chief of Corrections in advance of your
  scheduled
• program date.

• Organizations must submit a list of
  materials needed
• for your program. This list must be
  approved in
• advance of the scheduled start date for
  your program.

8
INMATE CONTACT

• One of the greatest threats to the
• safety and security of any correctional facility
  is directly
• attributed to the passing of unauthorized items
  (contraband)
• by visitors during contact visits. THIS INCLUDES
• PROFESSIONAL VISITORS WHILE RUNNING
• PROGRAMS INSIDE THE FACILITY.

• YOU MUST FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS YOUR
• RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN A PROFESSIONAL
• ATTITUDE AT ALL TIMES WHILE IN THE FACILITY.
• PROFESSIONAL DISTANCING IS IMPORTANT

9
INMATE BEHAVIOR

• It is the responsibility of the inmate to
  conduct
• themselves in an appropriate manner at all times
  during programming.

• Anytime an inmate becomes disruptive,
  non-compliant, threatening,
• or in anyway causes unrest during a program, YOU
  HAVE THE RIGHT
• TO HAVE THE INMATE REMOVED FROM THE PROGRAM.

• If inmate conduct is witnessed by facility
  staff, that inmate may be removed
• by the officer based on THE INMATE RULES AND
  REGULATIONS.

• If an inmate has been removed, it will be
  the decision of the Chief of
• Corrections as to whether or not the inmate will
  be removed for a specific
• period of time or permanently removed from the
  program.

• Unless otherwise specified with the Chief of
  Corrections, no inmate will
• be allowed to attend certain programs if they are
  on any disciplinary
• sanctions for violations of Inmate Rules and
  Regulations.

10
CONDUCT WITH INMATES

• Anyone entering the facility is considered
  staff.
• You are there to perform a specific professional
  service for the inmate.

• Staff is expected to have a high level of
  moral, ethical
• and professional standards.

• Engaging in any form of over familiar
  activity with
• an inmate is deemed to be unprofessional
  behavior,
• which is a violation of departmental policy.

• As staff, your designated assignments place
  you
• in a position of authority over the inmates with
• whom you interact with.

ANY ABUSE OF THIS AUTHORITY WILL CAUSE FOR YOUR
IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION. You will not be allowed
to enter the facility until such time the Chief
of Corrections reinstates you to the participant
list.
11
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

• Is defined as a person who is in a position
  of trust and authority, who engages in behavior
  of a sexual nature.

• Sexual Misconduct includes acts or attempts
  to commit acts of
• sexual contact, sexual abuse and/or sexual
  harassment.

• Sexual Misconduct includes conversations or
  correspondence
• which demonstrates or suggests a romantic or
  intimate
• relationship between an inmate and any
  contractual employee,
• volunteer or individual in a position of
  authority over an inmate.

• All sexual contact between inmates and staff
  is sexual
• misconduct, REGARDLESS OF CONSENT!!

12
SEXUAL CONTACT
Shall include, but not be limited to, all forms
of sexual contact as well as the intentional
touching, either directly or through clothing, the

• GENITALIA

• BUTTOCK

• GROIN

• BREASTS

• INNER THIGHS

• LIPS

of any person with the intent to abuse,
humiliate, harass, degrade or gratify the sexual
desire of any person.
13
SEXUAL ABUSE
Shall include but not be limited to,
subjecting another person to sexual contact by
persuasion, inducement, enticement or forcible
compulsion

• Subjecting to sexual contact another person
  who is incapable
• of giving consent by reason of their custodial
  status

• Subjecting another person to sexual contact
  who is incapable
• of consenting by reason being physically helpless
  or restrained or
• mentally incapacitated and

• Raping, molesting, prostituting or otherwise
  sexually
• exploiting another person.

14
STAFF MOVEMENT
All movement within the facility, as it applies
to you, is the responsibility of the jail
administration and staff.
This includes any possible restrictions, delays
and/or cancellations of programming as deemed
necessary to maintain safety and security
concerns within the facility.
15
THANK YOU
FOR PARTICIPATING
ENJOY THE TOUR