Jail Protocol for Natural Disasters

In schools, workplaces, and even churches we prepare a plan for any natural disaster yet not many people know or maybe have never even wondered about the protocol of a jail or prison in these situations. As a daughter of a Napa Jail inmate and a resident who hopes to someday become a criminal defense lawyer I questioned this protocol when a 6.0 earthquake shook my town. So like every teenager I took to the Internet with my question.

Typical protocol states that only if conditions become severe are any inmates evacuated from the facility. It is possible that if conditions are that sever that inmates will spend more than a day outside of the facility. If the facility is by any chance not able to reopen within three days inmates will be transferred to another facility while renovations are made. This time period may take up to a year and at times more according to damage. Jails and prisons are required to plan for both long term and short term natural disasters. Step one of any emergency plan for a jail or prison is to notify city of activated emergency plan. Second is to ensure the safety of staff by making sure staff outnumbers inmate population. If that jail or prison is majorly outnumbered they are allowed to call in assistance from nearby facilities. Third is to secure all inmates for evacuation.   Mutual-aid agreements have to be in place for public safety. Most facilities receive this aid from U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). There must also be provided escorts and security for evacuated inmates. Staff accompanying inmates to evacuation sites who stay with them for the duration of the evacuation period must be provided staff overtime, compensation for housing, relocation, and travel. At the evacuation site staff will make final agreement on comfort level of inmates. This includes housing and bedding. Also at place of evacuation must be a medical contractor with files of all inmates medical history to ensure the well being of each inmate. Staff is not to sleep in same quarters as inmates. They are provided hotel rooms if necessary. Staff take the responsibility for their inmates at the host facility or evacuation site preform 12-hour shifts. Natural disasters usually come by surprise. Therefore all staff must be prepared for a rapid evacuation. This includes preparing for any escapes and/or riots. Because of the fast nature of these evacuations inmates are not given time to collect any material property or unnecessary items. Usually in cases of quick evacuation high risk or maximum security inmates are evacuated first as to lower rate of their escape. Once all inmates are evacuated there is head count done on all staff and inmates. After headcount all inmates are transported to evacuation site via prison buses where they are shackled by hands and feet to each inmate on the bus. If the bus is to experience a mechanical problem all inmates will be recounted re-shackled and transferred to another working bus. The earthquake early Sunday morning in Napa, California did not however require an evacuation from the building. Although the building is "yellow tagged" for its internal and external damage it was too minor to cause staff to activate the emergency plan. However inmates we're allowed one phone call to reach their loved ones. As of now all building use is restricted to staff and inmates. This includes the current shut down of Napa County Jail's latest video calls.