Prison Glossary Penitentiary Terms

Prison Glossary of Terms That Start With "M"

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

Mail: Includes, but is not limited to: offender e-messaging, reading material, items delivered by the U.S. Postal Service; inter-facility mail; and any private carrier servicing the Department of Corrections.

Major Crime: Any crime involving death, attempted homicide, serious bodily injury, arson, major facility disturbance, escape, or attempted escape.

Major Incident: Riot, organized group disturbance, DOC employee, contract worker, or offender work stoppage, fire causing damage or injury, natural disaster, hostage situation, bomb threat, evacuation, act of sabotage, activation of facility emergency plan, and any other event of similar nature which disrupts normal operations of a facility or office, or results in a serious threat to the security, health, or safety of the public, DOC employees, contract workers, volunteers, or offenders.

Major Life Activities: Those that are of central importance to daily life to include functions "such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working."

Mandatory Complaint: A violation or alleged violation of a condition of parole that requires the filing of a parole complaint based on statute or this administrative regulation.

Mandatory Release: To aid in overcrowding a supervised release 180 days prior to the expiration of sentence, providing one calendar year has been served to be released upon supervision.

Manifest: The legal document that records the chain-of-custody from pick up of a material to final disposition and whether the material is being taken from the DOC to a testing laboratory for analysis, or the material is being taken from the DOC to a disposal site. The document records the name, date, and time of each individual responsible for the material at all times.

Mass Transportation: Offender movement that is prescheduled by the Office of Offender Services that may include several destinations and offenders with mixed custody levels.

Mass Transportation Restraints: Includes wrist restraints, waist restraints, and leg restraints.

Master Key: A key that operates a number of locks in addition to other keys that are used specifically for that lock.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): A document concerning a chemical. Each MSDS shall be in English and shall contain the following information; the identity used on the label, physical, and chemical characteristics (vapor pressure, flash point) physical and health hazards, primary routes of entry, exposure limits, precautions for safe handling and use, control measures, emergency and first aid procedures, and the chemical manufacturer name, address, and telephone.

Maximum Accrual: An individualized maximum number of hours that each DOC employee may accrue in a fiscal year.

Maximum/Sentence Expiration Date: Calculated completion date applying release credits earned for dates of offenses.

Maximum Term: The indeterminate sentencing is the longest sentence imposed and dates of offense incurring a maximum term of sentence.

Mechanical Devices: Items such as gates, doors, metal detectors, utility panels, hatch or door accesses, and movement detection devices.

Medical Diet: Specific foods and/or food preparation techniques that must satisfy medical diet therapy requirements as prescribed by Clinical Services.

Mental Health Four Point Restraint: Any mechanical device used to restrain a patient's four extremities to a fixed object.

Mental Health Units: Units operated to provide specialized treatment services to offenders who have mental illnesses or developmental disabilities.

Mental Health Watch: An enhanced level of supervision provided to offenders who are judged to be at high risk for self-injurious or suicidal behavior, or who are disruptive or dangerous due to a mental health problem. Mental health watches will occur in segregation units or other special housing, in a locked, single occupancy cell.

Mentors/Sponsors: Participants affiliated with an approved program that matches individuals with offenders, as defined in the program description. Individuals involved in such programs will receive specialized mentoring/aftercare training.

Metal Detector Search: Search by any stationary or hand held electronic metal or substance sensing device used for detection of contraband.

Minor Children: Children under age 18, unless emancipated by court order, marital status, active military duty, etc., with documented proof of emancipation.

Minor Incident: Any incident involving a misdemeanor or minor felony crime, such as a fight or contraband possession, which does not require the immediate response by Inspector General investigators.

Minor Parole Violations: Parole violations which do not jeopardize public safety or the parolee's safety and do not require a mandatory arrest or complaint.

Miranda Warning: Advises a person of their constitutional rights to have legal representation in a criminal investigation.

Mittimus: A writ issued by a court or magistrate, directing the sheriff or other executive officer to convey the person named in the writ to a prison or jail, and directing the jailor to receive and imprison that person.

Mobilization: The process of immediately securing the facility or complex, the accounting of DOC employees, contract workers, volunteers, visitors, and offenders, and isolating the incident site for the purpose of organizing actions and responses to an emergency. Dependent on the situation, the prison, division, or executive level Emergency Operations Plan will be implemented to address an actual incident, drill, or special mission.

Modified Stripped Cell: A cell in which some offender's property has been removed as a mental health intervention. Property allowed or disallowed will be specified in a mental health order.

Modus Operandi or M.O.: Characteristics, patterns, and methods of operation the offender uses in his/her crimes.

Monthly Population Reports: A report that summarizes all facility or corrections program population characteristics, movement, and status on a monthly and annual basis, including capacities and population, jail backlog levels, level and type of release, classification levels, parole caseload, and intake levels into the system.

Movement Log: A document recording offender movement within the facility, in and out of the facility, off-grounds and out-count status, date and movement location.

Multi-Agency Incident: An incident in which more than one agency is affected by the same event and must respond within its own area of responsibility and assist in another agency's response.

Mutual Aid Agreements: A written agreement with any local, state, regional, or federal governmental agency operating within the state to allow such agencies and DOC to provide DOC employee or operational support to one another in managing emergencies within the state, apprehending offenders who have escaped from DOC custody, or in providing any other function, service, or facility lawfully authorized.