BOP Program Statement 5270.12 § 5

You may be placed in administrative detention status for the following reasons:

(a) Pending Classification or Reclassification. You are a new commitment pending

classification or under review for Reclassification.

This includes newly arrived inmates from the bus, airlift, and United States Marshals Service.

(b) Holdover Status. You are in holdover status during transfer to a designated institution or

other destination.

(c) Removal from general population. Your presence in the general population poses a threat to

life, property, self, staff, other inmates, the public, or to the security or orderly running of the

institution and:

(1) Investigation. You are under investigation or awaiting a hearing for possibly violating a

Bureau regulation or criminal law;

(2) Transfer. You are pending transfer to another institution or location;

(3) Protection cases. You requested, or staff determined you need, administrative detention

status for your own protection; or

(4) Post-disciplinary detention. You are ending confinement in disciplinary segregation

status, and your return to the general population would threaten the safety, security, and

orderly operation of a correctional facility, or public safety.

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Employees must obtain approval from a Lieutenant or the Captain before placing an inmate in

administrative detention status pending investigation of a disciplinary violation. When

considering approval for administrative detention, the seriousness of the violation should be

reviewed.

When making a SHU determination, officials should consider the seriousness of the alleged

offense, including whether the offense involved violence, involved escape, or posed a threat to

institutional safety, employees, or the orderly running of the institution.

If an inmate is terminating confinement in disciplinary segregation and employees determine

placement in the general population is not prudent, the inmate may be placed in administrative

detention status, if warranted by the conditions established above. The decision for post-disciplinary detention must be based on a separate review, not solely on the initial hearing

before the DHO that resulted in the inmate’s placement in disciplinary segregation.

For all inmates placed in administrative detention, the Segregation Review Official (SRO)

advises the inmate of this determination and the reason for the action via a BP-A0308,

Administrative Detention Order form (ADO). The Warden or shift supervisor can order

immediate segregation. Ordinarily, within 24 hours of an inmate’s placement in

administrative detention, a supervisory official not involved in the initial placement will review

and approve the placement decision.

Within 90 days of an inmate entering post-disciplinary detention status, employees must

ordinarily return the inmate to general population or request a transfer of the inmate to a more

suitable institution using an EMS-A0409, Request for Transfer/Application of Management

Variable form. The Regional Correctional Programs Administrator will be copied on the

completed form. This expectation does not apply to pretrial or inmates in a Control Unit

Program.

The institution must generate a regional referral for each inmate in post-disciplinary detention

more than 90 days that includes case-specific information stating why the inmate is not

appropriate for return to general population or immediate transfer. The Regional Director

must submit a recommendation for post-disciplinary detention of more than 90 days and every

60 days thereafter to the Assistant Director, CPD, for concurrence. Distribution includes a copy

emailed to the CPD DHO mailbox.

The institution generates an ADO that cites the same case-specific information and includes

documentation indicating the SRO has advised the inmate of the reasoning for the extended stay.

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