BOP Program Statement 5290.14 § 9

a. Location. Each Warden must determine the appropriate

location for the institution's A&O Program.

b. Quarters. Each Warden must establish procedures for the

assignment of living quarters.

c. Activities. The A&O staff coordinator is to ensure that

the A&O Program provides a full schedule of activities in which

each newly committed inmate may participate. Scheduled

activities must include exposure to programs responsive to the

inmate’s specialized need, as well as exposure to various work

assignments, education programs, and physical and social

activity.

The A&O Program will include, at a minimum, all areas

identified on the Institution (BP-S518) and Unit (BP-S597)

Checklists. Blank spaces are provided on both forms to include

additional programs or topics the institution or unit identify

that are unique to that institution or unit.

Audiovisual presentations may be used when, for security or

other significant reasons, it is not practical for inmates to

attend A&O programming. This option should be used only in

exceptional circumstances and must have the Warden’s written

approval.

The Associate Warden may exempt an inmate from participating in

the institution/unit A&O Program when health services staff

determine that the inmate is medically or mentally incapable of

participating in the program fully. Once the inmate is capable

of participating, he/she will no longer be exempted from the

program. Documentation is to be filed in section 2 of the

Privacy Folder of the Inmate Central File.

d. A&O Program Components. The A&O Program consists of two

distinct components; Institution A&O and Unit A&O. The Intake

Screening process, which is considered the first step in

orienting an inmate to the institution, is completed prior to

participating in the A&O Programs. (Refer to the Program

Statement on Intake Screening for specific information provided

during the Intake Screening process).

(1) Institution A&O. This component provides instruction

and/or information to inmates regarding topics identified on the

Institution A&O Checklist. This includes mandatory national

policy issues as well as local issues and procedures.

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Ordinarily, this segment will be completed within four weeks of

an inmate’s arrival at the institution.

It is highly recommended that inmates complete the

institution portion of the A&O Program prior to their initial

classification; however, this is not mandatory. Note that old

law violators (Mandatory Release, Parole, and Special Parole Term

and Old Law Supervised Release Violators) are ordinarily

classified within two weeks of their arrival at the institution.

Inmates initially housed in a SHU will be required to

complete the institution A&O Program ordinarily within four weeks

after he or she has been released to general population.

(2) Unit A&O. This component consists of a Safety

Orientation and Unit Security Overview which the Unit Officer

provides, and a unit orientation which unit staff provide.

(a) The Unit Officer will provide the Safety Orientation

and Unit Security Overview on the day the inmate arrives in the

unit (assigned or temporary) and no later than by the end of the

day (lights out). This segment will include information about

safety issues (i.e., fire escape procedures, sanitation, smoking

rules, etc.), and the unit’s security procedures (i.e., counts,

accountability, searches, passes, wake-up/lights out, etc.).

When this component is completed, the Unit Officer will sign and

date the appropriate section of the BP-S597.

Note: An inmate initially housed in a SHU will be

provided this information as specified in

Section 7.b. of this Program Statement.

Due to the special mission of certain units such as a

“central” A&O Unit, a temporary unit, or a SHU, an inmate who

transfers from this type unit to an assigned unit will be

provided a safety orientation and security overview by the Unit

Officer of the assigned unit. Topics which are consistent

throughout the institution do not need to be readdressed;

therefore, only those topics which are unique to the unit or

differ from procedures in other units in the institution need to

be addressed. The Unit Officer will document completion on the

BP-S597 in the assigned Unit Officer’s signature block.

(b) Unit Orientation will include an overview of each

unit staff member’s role and procedures. Unit staff (Unit

Manager, Case Manager and Counselor) may present their sections

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of the orientation jointly or individually; however, all sections

of this component must be completed within seven calendar days

after the inmate arrives in the assigned unit. Unit staff will

sign and date their section of the BP-S597 when completed.

(c) Inmates reassigned to another unit within the

institution for any reason will be provided unit orientation

within seven calendar days after that inmate’s arrival in the

reassigned unit. Only those topics which are unique to the unit

or differ from procedures in other units in the institution need

to be addressed. A new BP-S597 will be completed when an inmate

is transferred from one unit to another within the same

institution.

e. Telephone Calls. Ordinarily, newly committed inmates will

be permitted to complete at least two local or long distance

phone calls during the admission process, in accordance with the

Program Statement on Telephone Regulations for Inmates.

f. Length of A&O Program. An inmate's involvement in the

institution's A&O Program is based on the time necessary to

accomplish the program's objectives.

The Warden will determine the length of the institution’s A&O

Program. Presenters should have sufficient time to address each

topic on the Institution A&O Program Checklist thoroughly, and

address inmate questions and/or concerns.

g. Documentation of A&O Program Involvement. Staff must

document that the inmate has received a copy of the institution's

inmate handouts and has completed the institution's A&O Program.

Staff will have the inmate sign and date a copy of this document.

The original document is to be placed in the Inmate's Central

File. Completion of A&O programing will be documented on both

the Institution A&O Checklist form (BP-S518) and the Unit A&O

Checklist form (BP-S597).

In addition, documentation that the inmate received orientation

information during the Intake Screening process will also be

noted on the Intake Screening form.

(1) Unit A&O Checklist Form (BP-S597). The BP-S597 has

been revised to include the following:

! An additional Unit Officer signature block has been

added to the form for the Unit Officer of a “central”

A&O unit or a temporary unit to sign and date

indicating he/she provided a safety orientation and

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unit security overview to the newly arrived inmate in

that unit;

! An additional inmate signature block has been added to

the form for the inmate temporarily housed in a

“central” A&O unit or temporary unit to sign indicating

he/she received a safety orientation and unit security

overview while in that unit;

Staff are to indicate in the specified section of the form:

! the inmate’s initial housing unit (assigned unit, A&O

unit, overflow unit, or SHU) and date received;

! the date of transfer from a temporary unit or a

“central” A&O unit to an assigned unit, if applicable;

and

! the date of transfer from a SHU to a “central” A&O unit

or overflow unit, if applicable.

Unit staff providing Unit orientation will sign each

inmate’s Unit A&O Checklist individually upon completing their

section. When all areas have been presented, staff will request

the inmate sign and date the form. The BP-S597 form will be

filed in Section 3 of the Inmate Central File.

(2) Institution A&O Checklist Form (BP-S518). The Warden

has the option of either having each presenter sign each inmate’s

BP-S518 individually or using a “Master” BP-S518.

Using a “Master” A&O Checklist will require each presenter

involved in the institution A&O Program to sign and date the

“Master” BP-S518 upon completing his or her presentation. The

last presenter will sign the BP-S518 prior to presenting his or

her material to the class. This allows the A&O Coordinator time

to make copies of the original checklist (“Master”) prior to the

end of the presentation, for distribution to each inmate

participant to sign and date.

The signed copy will then be collected from each inmate and

forwarded to the appropriate unit for filing in section 3 of the

Inmate Central File.

The A&O Coordinator will maintain the “Master” Checklist and

a list of the inmate participants for each A&O class instructed

for three years or until the next Program Review.

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The BP-S518 and BP-S597 may be duplicated back-to-back or

used separately, depending on which method is most efficient for

the institution’s A&O Program. The approved procedure must be

addressed in the Institution Supplement and used throughout the

institution.

Note: Neither form may be modified except for the adding

topics or programs the institution or unit

identified.