US · guidance
BOP Program Statement 5270.12 § 14
§ 541.32 Medical and mental health care in the SHU.
(a) Medical Care. A health services staff member will visit you daily to provide necessary
medical care. Emergency medical care is always available.
While in a SHU, inmates may continue taking their prescribed medications. For additional
information see the Program Statements Pharmacy Services and Over-the-Counter
Medications.
P5270.12 3/5/2024 Federal Regulations are shown in this type. Implementing instructions: this type. 17
(b) Mental health care. After every 30 calendar days of continuous placement in either
administrative detention or disciplinary segregation status, mental health staff will examine you,
including a personal interview. Emergency mental health care is always available.
Generally, an inmate who has been identified by Psychology or Psychiatry Services as a Care3-
MH, Care4-MH, psychology alert, or identified on the monthly SHU advisory should not be
placed in Special Housing unless they present an immediate and/or serious danger to self,
employees, or the orderly running of a Bureau facility. An inmate’s mental health care level
alone does not preclude them from placement in SHU.
If an inmate who has been identified by Psychology or Psychiatry Services as a Care3-MH,
Care4-MH, psychology alert, or identified on the monthly Psychology Advisory List (PAL), is
placed in Special Housing, Psychology Services will be notified and conduct a mental health
evaluation within 24 hours of placement. Psychology Services will conduct a psychological
assessment, including a personal interview, when administrative detention continues beyond 30
days.
Psychology Services conduct a similar psychological assessment and report at 30-day intervals
should detention continue for an extended period.
If it is not possible to avoid the placement of an inmate with serious mental illness in SHU, a
transition plan should begin immediately. A multidisciplinary team should be convened,
consider all options, including return to the general population, transfer to another general
population setting, transfer to a mental health psychology treatment program, or transfer to a
psychiatric inpatient setting. See the Program Statements Treatment and Care of Inmates
With Mental Illness, Psychology Treatment Programs, Psychiatry Services, and Inmate
Security Designation and Custody Classification.
Extended SHU Placement Definition. An inmate is considered to be housed in “extended
placement” when continuously housed in SHU for six months or longer. Inmates with serious
mental illness must be removed from SHU before they have been housed continuously for six
months, unless they have extraordinary security needs. A multidisciplinary team will be
convened to determine whether extended placement is warranted. At a minimum, the team will
include the Captain, Unit Manager, and a Psychologist.
Examples of extraordinary security needs may include a pending ADX referral, pending Federal
Bureau of Investigation referral, or serious assaultive behavior. If it is determined a seriously
mentally ill inmate has extraordinary security needs warranting extended SHU placement, that
determination, along with verification a team was convened and appropriate referrals were made,
P5270.12 3/5/2024 Federal Regulations are shown in this type. Implementing instructions: this type. 18
will be documented in the Psychology Data System-Bureau Electronic Medical Record.
Psychology Services will also enter the corresponding Bureau inmate management system code.
History
PS 5270.12 dated 2024-03-05
Provenance
- Source
- bop.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-20
- Edition
- bop-ps-2026-09-20
- Content hash
c611b18eb38208f282c838bfe094801d6c8c0806080966a44639946a954ee9c0
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