Prison Glossary & DOC Terms

Prison Glossary of Terms That Start With "C"

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Calling Tree: A telephone system that is utilized by the facility or community for notification of an escape.

Canine (K-9): A highly trained and certified dog that meets the Department of Corrections inspector general's requirements in one, or more, of the following areas:

1. Detection of narcotics and explosives
2. Search of buildings and/or areas
3. Handler and/or officer protection
4. Man-tracking
5. Other duties as deemed necessary or appropriate by the handler

Canine (K-9) Search: A search utilizing canines provided by the K-9 Unit.

Canine Team or K-9 Team: A handler and dog, who work together for the purpose of man-tracking, or in search and discovery of narcotics or contraband within DOC facilities, centers, and upon request, provide assistance to outside law enforcement agencies.

Canine Trainer or K-9 Trainer: A person who is qualified, highly trained, and responsible for the initial and ongoing training, to ensure the assigned dog and handler achieve and maintain performance levels

Canteen: An enterprise program designed for offender purchases of approved food, staple items, personal care products, and other items that are not furnished by the facility.

Canteen Manager: A DOC employee assigned to manage the canteen sales, sales from vending machines within facility visiting rooms, customer service, distribution of canteen orders to each facility, resolves the problems identified by each facility canteen coordinator, and responsible for the management of the statewide canteen program.

Capture: A fugitive who is in the physical custody of an outside criminal justice agency or the DOC.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Directive: An offender's direction to withhold CPR in certain situations.

Case Management Audit: An evaluation of selected case files and chronological records to determine the community parole officer's compliance with state statutes, DOC administrative regulations, and division procedures in the supervision of community corrections offenders and parolees. Additionally, the evaluation is used to identify deficiencies in case file documentation and to determine if chronological records are being appropriately coded and entered.

Case Manager: An individual employed by, or under contract with the DOC, responsible for direct involvement with offenders and ensuring an ongoing process of case monitoring, case recording, counseling, and guidance. Direct involvement shall also include field community parole officers working in liaison with community corrections centers.

Case Material: Information regarding the offender, collected in the department and working files, in the form of official reports generated by the Department of Corrections, Parole, or other official jurisdictions which are allowed to be shared between jurisdictions without an authorization for release of information from the offender.

Case Review: Retrospective examination and analysis of information contained in administrative cases. Information and statistics from these audits may be used by executive management to identify training needs or to otherwise inform management of trends positive or negative which have some impact on operations.

Cash-Funded Offender Work Assignments: Inmate work assignments funded from Correctional Industries or Canteen operations, rather than from a general fund allocation.

Cash Meal Ticket: An individual ticket redeemable for one meal.

Cell Extraction: Removal of a non-compliant, disruptive offender from a cell, or other secured area, utilizing the chemical agent, Oleoresin Capsicum (OC), in a pre-planned, organized, forced compliance process.

Cells: General housing spaces that have secure lockable doors mechanically controlled, controlled by a DOC employee, or accessed by offenders with keys. Cells may house one or two offenders.

Censored Mail: The removal of any part of incoming or outgoing mail.

Certified DOC Employee: A DOC employee who has satisfactorily completed a probationary period or trial service period.

Chain of Command: An orderly line of authority within the ranks of the organization, with lower levels subordinate to, and connected to, higher levels. DOC employees staffed into emergency service functions follow the designated chain of command, regardless of their non-emergency positions or everyday administrative chain of command.

Chain of Custody-Criminal Evidence: A document used to track the location of evidence from the time that it is discovered to the time that it is either released or retained by the court or disposed of in accordance with this administrative regulation.

Chain of Custody - DNA: A recording process which shows the person in possession of physical evidence at any given time, including dates and times of possession, as well as location of persons who have had control of evidence.

Chain of Custody-Urine: The process of collection, storage, testing, and transportation of a urine specimen in a manner that ensures that the specimen and results are correctly matched to the person who gave the specimen and that the specimen has not been altered or tampered with from the point of collection, through the reporting of the test results.

Chaplain: A faith group representative, approved by Faith and Citizen Programs, in consultation with the warden/designee, endorsed by an approved faith group organization, and upon completion of required training. Chaplains shall provide a minimum of 21 hours of service per week.

Checkpoint: An obstruction of traffic on a road or highway to inform the public of an emergency situation.

Chit: A metal tag used to exchange for a key ring at secondary issue points. This tag shall not have personal keys attached to it.

Class "A" Tool: Any tool that can be used as a weapon or in an escape, or can be used to fabricate weapons or facilitate an escape. The following are typical examples:

1. End nippers and large pliers
2. Ice picks and knives
3. Pipe and conduit benders
4. Saw blades of all types
5. Bolt and cable cutters
6. Cutting torches and mixing chambers
7. Cordless/corded drills, grinders, and grinding wheels
8. Files and hones
9. Gear pullers and come-a-longs
10. Ladders (6 feet in length and longer)
11. Ram Set (nail gun)
12. Ropes (over 10 feet)

Class "B" Tool: Any tool not presenting a threat to the security of the facility that is not designated as a class "A" tool or a controlled item.

Classification: A process whereby an offender is reviewed to determine appropriate custody and facility assignment. The assignment may be made based upon an objective or discretionary determination.

Classification Approved Date: The date that the classification section approved institution recommendation.

Classification Date: The date the inmate was classified or reclassified.

Classification Override: Decision by the classification department, based on either aggravating or mitigating circumstances, to assign an inmate higher or lower public risk and/or institutional risk scores and/or to an alternative institutional placement of higher of lower security and/or custody levels than is designated by either the initial classification or reclassification process.

Classification Officer: Any DOC employee, at or above the level of correctional officer, or any person under contract who is assigned responsibilities as a classification officer for classification within a facility or the Central Office.

Clinical Assistants: Offender porters who provide familial, non-medical duties commensurate with their level of training to other offenders.

Clinical Four-Point Restraint: The clinical use of mechanical restraint devices which restrain an offender's four extremities to a fixed object. Clinical four-point restraints are not used for mental health watches.

Clinical Medical Records: Records of medical treatment on an individual offender maintained for reference by medical that are non-releasable without the offender's consent or court order.

Clinical Polygraph (Polygraph): An instrument used for the purpose of detecting deception or verifying truth of statements of a person under criminal justice supervision and/or treatment for the commission of sex offenses.

Clinical Restraint, General: Physical restrictions on an offender's movements ordered by properly credentialed clinicians for clinical purposes. Clinical restraint includes ambulatory restraint, medical restraint, and four point restraint.

Co-defendant: Any individual that was involved in or charged with a crime committed by the offender he/she is requesting to visit.

Code of Conduct: A coherent and documented set of standards with enforceable sanctions and protection (e.g., corrective, disciplinary actions with due process).

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Therapy which addresses the offender's thoughts as a basis for changing feelings and behavior. New behavior patterns such as social and problem solving skills are also encouraged for the offender.

Cold Search Operations: A scaled down search operation determined by the search commander and the incident commander.

Collect Call: A call in which the called party pays all of the charges for the call.

Command: The act of directing and/or controlling resources and/or activities by virtue of explicit legal, agency, or delegated authority. Command may also refer to the incident commander.

Command Post (Adult Parole, Community Corrections, and Youthful Offender System): A private agency under contract to the Department of Corrections and designated by the director of Adult Parole, Community Corrections, and Youthful Offender System to receive, document, and transmit incident reports from community corrections programs, providers of electronic monitoring, and law enforcement for the purpose of providing notification to Adult Parole, Community Corrections, and Youthful Offender System.

Commercially Prepared: Food that has been processed, commercially prepared, packaged, and distributed by a food processing establishment that is compliant with all applicable laws. All packaging shall be commercially produced and factory security sealed.

Commercially Produced Factory Security Sealed: A seal placed on a container or packaged in a manner by the commercial food vendor whereby DOC employees can verify if it has been tampered with or opened.

Commitment Document(s): Judgement of conviction, sentence and order to sheriff (mittimus).

Commitment Name: The official name of the offender as determined and maintained by the DOC.

Common-Law Marriage: Mutual consent or agreement of the parties to be husband and wife, followed by mutual and open assumption of marital relationship. Conduct in the form of mutual public acknowledgment of marital relationship is evidence of mutual agreement and essential to establishment of common-law marriage. Cohabitation, necessary to establish a common-law marriage, must consist of living or dwelling together in the same habitation as husband and wife, and not merely a sojourning or a habit of visiting or remaining together for a time.

Community Corrections Center: Any private or public facility under contract to the Department of Public Safety or the Department of Corrections to provide residential treatment and transitional services for DOC offenders.

Community Parole Officer (CPO): A DOC employee assigned to Adult Parole, Community Corrections, and Youthful Offender System whose primary duties include investigation and supervision of offenders on parole and supervision of offenders assigned to community corrections programs, and Youthful Offender System. A CPO is a POST certified peace officer, in accordance with state statute, and has authority to investigate criminal and administrative violations and make arrests in the performance of official duties.

Community Parole Officer Scope of Authority: Community parole officers have the authority to enforce all the laws of the state of while acting within the scope of their authority and in the performance of their duties and any mutual aid agreements.

Community Re-Entry Assessment/Intake Packet: An application/intake packet completed by both the Community Re-Entry specialist and the offender that reviews demographics, criminal history/current conviction, contact information, family/marital status, identification needs, military history, education, employment, and medical/mental health needs to determine risk, needs, and barriers to re-entry.

Community Re-Entry Service Plan: A matrix of services provided to the offender based on needs and barriers to successful re-entry that documents the type of services provided, dates, and cost (if any).

Community Release Form: A formal document referring eligible offenders to Adult Parole, Community Corrections, and Youthful Offender System for investigation and approval of placement.

Compact Parolee: An adult placed under supervision of the Interstate Compact Agreement as the result of the commission of a criminal offense. The parolee is released to the community under the jurisdiction of paroling authorities, corrections, or other criminal justice agencies, under the provisions of the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision.

Compact State: Any state or US territory that is a member of the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision which provides supervision and transfer of offenders subject to the terms of the compact.

Compensation: Payments to a crime victim for expenses actually and reasonably incurred as a result of the injury to the person or property of the victim, including medical expenses, loss of earning power, and any other pecuniary loss directly resulting from the injury to the person or property or the death of the victim, which a court of competent jurisdiction determines to be reasonable and proper.

Complicity: An offender may be charged, tried, and convicted of any offense based upon the conduct of another person if, with the intent that the offense be committed, he commands, induces, encourages, procures, or aids the other to commit it. It is an affirmative defense to the charge of complicity that the offender, prior to the commission of the offense, voluntarily withdrew from any active participation in the offense. In any prosecution where the liability of the accused offender is based upon the conduct of another offender, it is no defense that the other offender has been found not guilty, or has not been prosecuted, or has been convicted of a different offense.

Concurrent Sentencing: Sentence is being served at the same time as another sentence.

Conditions of Parole: Stipulations of parole as imposed by the Board and contained in the Parole Board Action Sheet and the Parole Agreement/Parole Order.

Conduct Unbecoming: Includes any act or conduct either on or off duty that negatively impacts job performance, not specifically mentioned in administrative regulations. The act or conduct tends to bring the DOC into disrepute or reflects discredit upon the individual as a DOC employee, contract worker, or volunteer.

Confirmed Escape: An escape is confirmed when any count/standing head count/identification has been conducted and one or more offender(s) cannot be accounted for.

Conflict of Interest: Any situation wherein an individual DOC employee's outside personal or professional activities is incompatible or contrary to the proper discharge of the responsibilities of the office or position with the DOC.

Contact Visit: A visit between an offender and visitor that is conducted under supervision in an open area, enabling movement within the area and restricted physical contact.

Contraband: Any item that a DOC employee, contract worker, volunteer, visitor, or offender is not specifically authorized to have in his/her possession; any item that has been altered and/or is being used for other than its intended purpose (this often does not include reading materials); any item listed in the "Consent to Search Authorization"; any item listed in the Code of Penal Discipline; any item listed on the administrative head's "Declaration of Contraband"; and any item that may threaten the safety and security of a DOC facility, DOC employees, contract workers, volunteers, offenders, or visitors, or any item listed as contraband in an administrative regulation, implementation/adjustment or operational memorandum.

Controlled Substances: Prescription drugs which are prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner or prescribed legally, but can be used illegally.

Cooperating Agency: Any agency supplying assistance other than direct logistical, tactical, or service resources to the incident control effort.

Correctional Complex: More than one facility managed by the same appointing authority where services are shared or consolidated.

Corrective Action: An action intended to correct and improve a DOC employee's job performance or behavior in a formal, systematic manner. Such actions do not adversely affect the current base pay, status, or tenure of the DOC employee.

Court Ordered Testing: A drug test collected from offenders based upon court-mandated order.

Court Sentencing Date: The date the prison sentence was imposed by the courts.

Court Services: The unit of Offender Services responsible for scheduling court traffic and monitoring detainer activity.

Credit Balance: The current balance of an offender's DOC account greater than zero.

Crime: A violation of federal law, state law, or local ordinance.

Crime of Violence: a crime in which the defendant used, or possessed and threatened the use of, a deadly weapon during the commission or attempted commission of any crime committed against an elderly or handicapped person or a crime of murder, first or second degree kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery, first degree arson, first or second degree burglary, escape, criminal extortion, or during the immediate flight therefrom, or the defendant caused serious bodily injury or death to any person other than himself/herself or another participant, during the commission or attempted commission of any such felony or during the immediate flight therefrom. Crime of violence also means any unlawful sexual offense in which the defendant caused bodily injury to the victim or in which the defendant used threat, intimidation, or force against the victim. "Unlawful sexual offense" shall apply only to felony unlawful sexual offenses and shall have the same meaning; and "bodily injury" means a person who is disabled because of the loss of or permanent loss of the use of a hand or foot or because of blindness or permanent impairment of vision in both eyes to such a degree as to constitute virtual blindness.

Crime Related Physical Evidence: Dangerous contraband and dangerous drugs are considered crime related physical evidence.

Crime Scene: The immediate area where a crime has been discovered and an area surrounding that scene, of a reasonable dimension, to ensure that potential evidence is not disturbed, lost, or destroyed.

Criminal Conduct: Violation of a city, county, state, and/or federal law.

Criminal Evidence: Any physical item, contraband item, paper document, audio/visual recording or specimen serving as proof, or probative matter, to establish that a crime has been committed and that could aide in solving a crime.

Critical Incident: Traumatic incidents, such as riots, hostage situations, assaults, and deaths or trauma, which may cause psychological and/or physical responses.

Critical Staffing: Specific posts and positions designated by the appointing authority during an emergency that are required to perform essential and/or emergency services to ensure the safe and secure operations of a facility and/or division.

Current Balance: The actual balance in an offender's account maintained in the inmate banking system. The current balance can be a negative or a positive amount.

Custody Level: The degree of supervision required for each offender. Custody level utilizes the terms of minimum, minimum-restricted, medium, close, and administrative segregation.