BSCC Use of Force Principles 5 ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following actions by a correctional officer would be considered a use of 'soft empty-hand control'?
- Striking an inmate with a baton
- Applying a wrist lock to guide a non-compliant inmate (Correct answer)
- Deploying OC spray on a resistive inmate
- Firing a less-lethal projectile
Correct answer: Applying a wrist lock to guide a non-compliant inmate
Soft empty-hand control includes joint locks and escort holds that use minimal pain compliance without strikes or weapons.
Question 2: When documenting a use-of-force incident, which information is LEAST important to include?
- The specific actions taken and force applied
- The inmate's behavior that prompted the response
- The officer's shift schedule for the following week (Correct answer)
- The medical attention provided after the incident
Correct answer: The officer's shift schedule for the following week
Future shift schedules are irrelevant to documenting the facts, circumstances, and outcomes of a use-of-force incident.
Question 3: An inmate passively resists by going limp and refusing to walk. Which response is most appropriate as a first option?
- Immediately deploy OC spray
- Use verbal persuasion and attempt to physically guide the inmate (Correct answer)
- Call for a five-officer extraction team
- Place the inmate in disciplinary segregation without further effort
Correct answer: Use verbal persuasion and attempt to physically guide the inmate
Passive resistance warrants verbal attempts and minimal physical guidance before escalating to higher force options.
Question 4: Which constitutional amendment primarily governs excessive force claims by pretrial detainees?
- Eighth Amendment
- Fourteenth Amendment (Correct answer)
- Fourth Amendment
- First Amendment
Correct answer: Fourteenth Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause governs excessive force claims by pretrial detainees who have not yet been convicted.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of policy requiring officers to issue a warning before using force when feasible?
- To give the officer time to contact a supervisor
- To provide the inmate an opportunity to comply and avoid the need for force (Correct answer)
- To create a legal record that protects only the agency
- To delay the use of force long enough for backup to arrive
Correct answer: To provide the inmate an opportunity to comply and avoid the need for force
Warnings give subjects the opportunity to comply voluntarily, potentially eliminating the need for force altogether.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'less-lethal' force options?
- Force options that are completely safe and never cause death
- Force options designed to incapacitate without intended lethal effect but that carry some risk of death (Correct answer)
- Force options that may only be used by supervisors
- Force options that require a court order before deployment
Correct answer: Force options designed to incapacitate without intended lethal effect but that carry some risk of death
Less-lethal options are intended to be non-fatal but can cause serious injury or death under certain conditions, hence 'less-lethal' rather than 'non-lethal.'
Question 7: Which action best demonstrates an officer's adherence to the principle of 'force as a last resort'?
- Using force at the first sign of any inmate agitation
- Exhausting verbal and tactical options before applying physical force (Correct answer)
- Relying solely on backup officers to handle all conflicts
- Avoiding interaction with agitated inmates entirely
Correct answer: Exhausting verbal and tactical options before applying physical force
Force as a last resort means actively attempting every reasonable alternativeāverbal commands, positioning, de-escalationābefore resorting to physical force.
BSCC Use of Force Principles 5
Which of the following actions by a correctional officer would be considered a use of 'soft empty-hand control'?