CO Contraband Control & Searches 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'shakedown' in correctional facility terminology?
- A disciplinary hearing for an inmate
- A large-scale, systematic search of an entire housing unit or facility (Correct answer)
- An informal conversation between an officer and an informant
- A procedure to transfer high-risk inmates
Correct answer: A large-scale, systematic search of an entire housing unit or facility
A shakedown refers to a large-scale, coordinated search of an entire housing unit, block, or facility to locate and seize contraband.
Question 2: Which of the following would MOST likely be considered contraband in a U.S. correctional facility?
- A library book checked out through the facility
- A prescription medication not prescribed to that specific inmate (Correct answer)
- A commissary-purchased bar of soap
- A photograph of a family member
Correct answer: A prescription medication not prescribed to that specific inmate
Prescription medication not issued to that specific inmate is contraband because it represents an unauthorized pharmaceutical item that poses a serious security and health risk.
Question 3: How should a correctional officer properly document seized contraband to maintain chain of custody?
- Take a mental note and report it verbally at shift change
- Log the item with a description, location found, time, date, and officer's name on an official form (Correct answer)
- Place it in a bag and hand it directly to the inmate's case manager
- Photograph it and then store it in the officer's personal locker
Correct answer: Log the item with a description, location found, time, date, and officer's name on an official form
Proper documentation with all relevant details on an official form ensures a legally defensible chain of custody for disciplinary or criminal proceedings.
Question 4: Ion scanners used in correctional facilities are primarily designed to detect what?
- Metal weapons hidden in clothing
- Trace amounts of drugs or explosives on surfaces or persons (Correct answer)
- Unauthorized electronic devices
- Forged identification documents
Correct answer: Trace amounts of drugs or explosives on surfaces or persons
Ion scanners detect microscopic trace particles of narcotics and explosives on skin, clothing, and surfaces, making them effective at identifying recent drug contact.
Question 5: Under what circumstances is an unclothed body search (strip search) typically authorized in a U.S. correctional facility?
- Whenever an officer suspects an inmate of any rule violation
- Based solely on an officer's personal preference
- When policy requires it, such as after contact visits, before placement in segregation, or following reasonable suspicion (Correct answer)
- Only when approved by a federal judge
Correct answer: When policy requires it, such as after contact visits, before placement in segregation, or following reasonable suspicion
Strip searches are authorized under specific policy-driven circumstances such as after contact visits, upon admission, before segregation placement, or when there is documented reasonable suspicion.
Question 6: An inmate refuses to submit to a mandatory pat-down search. What is the MOST appropriate initial response?
- Use immediate physical force to compel compliance
- Ignore the refusal and continue with daily duties
- Calmly order compliance, document the refusal, and notify a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Offer the inmate a reward for complying
Correct answer: Calmly order compliance, document the refusal, and notify a supervisor
The appropriate response is to clearly order compliance, document the refusal, and involve a supervisor so that the situation is handled according to policy and use-of-force guidelines.
Question 7: Which search technique involves methodically dividing a large space into sections and searching each section completely before moving to the next?
- Random spot-check search
- Sector or grid search method (Correct answer)
- Perimeter-only search
- Inmate-directed search
Correct answer: Sector or grid search method
The sector or grid search method divides an area into manageable sections, ensuring complete coverage of the space without missing areas.
CO Contraband Control & Searches 2
What is a 'shakedown' in correctional facility terminology?