Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1400-01-.06 - PERSONNEL

(1) Type I, II, III, and IV Facilities shall meet the following requirements unless otherwise specified.

(2) After providing notice and obtaining consent in writing, a criminal history check shall be conducted on all new facility employees, service providers with continuous access to restricted areas, contractors, and volunteers prior to their assuming duties to identify if there are criminal convictions that have a specific relationship to job performance. This criminal history check includes comprehensive identifier information to be collected and run against law enforcement indices. If suspect information on matter with potential terrorism connections is returned on the person, this information shall be forwarded to the local Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) or other similar agency.

This requirement applies only to Type I, II, and III Facilities.

(3) Facilities shall develop a personnel policy manual made available to each employee, and which provides information on the following subjects:

(a) Description of organizational structure;

(b) Position descriptions;

(c) Personnel rules and regulations;

(d) Recruitment procedures;

(e) Equal employment opportunity provisions;

(f) Work hours;

(g) Personnel records;

(h) Employee evaluation;

(i) In-Service training;

(j) Hostage policy; and

(k) Use of force.

These requirements apply only to Type I Facilities.

(4) Prior to assuming duties, all detention facility employees, support employees and non-facility support staff shall receive orientation training regarding the functions and mission of the facility under the supervision of a qualified detention officer. This training may be accomplished through classroom instruction, supervised on-the-job training, an individual review of policies and procedures, or any combination of the three, and shall include:

(a) Facility policies and procedures;

(b) Suicide prevention;

(c) Use-of-force;

(d) Report writing;

(e) Inmate rules and regulations;

(f) Key control;

(g) Emergency plans and procedures;

(h) Cultural diversity;

(i) Communication skills; and

(j) Sexual misconduct.

These requirements apply only to Type I, II, and III Facilities.

(5) A Facility Training Officer (FTO) shall coordinate the staff development and training program. This person shall have specialized training for that position (assigned as a primary or additional duty). The FTO shall complete the Training the Trainer (3T) course and attend the annual FTO Conference conducted by the Tennessee Corrections Institute.

This requirement applies only to Type I, II, and III Facilities.

(6) All support employees who have minimal inmate contact shall receive at least sixteen (16) hours of facility training during their first year of employment. All employees in this category shall receive an additional sixteen (16) hours of facility training each subsequent year of employment.

This requirement applies only to Type I, II, and III Facilities.

(7) All non-facility support staff who have regular or daily inmate contact, shall receive a minimum of four (4) hours continuing annual training, which may include:

(a) Security procedures and regulations;

(b) Supervision of inmates;

(c) Signs of suicide risk;

(d) Suicide precautions;

(e) Use-of-force regulations and tactics;

(f) Report writing;

(g) Inmate rules and regulations;

(h) Key control;

(i) Rights and responsibilities of inmates;

(j) Safety procedures;

(k) All emergency plans and procedures;

(l) Interpersonal relations;

(m) Social/cultural lifestyles of the inmate population;

(n) Cultural diversity;

(o) CPR/first aid;

(p) Counseling techniques;

(q) Sexual harassment/sexual misconduct awareness;

(r) Purpose, goals, policies, and procedures for the facility and the parent agency;

(s) Security and contraband regulations;

(t) Appropriate conduct with inmates;

(u) Responsibilities and rights of employees;

(v) Universal precautions;

(w) Occupational exposure;

(x) Personal protective equipment;

(y) Bio-hazardous waste disposal; and

(z) Overview of the correctional field.

These requirements apply only to Type I, II, and III Facilities.

(8) All detention or correctional facility employees, including part-time employees, whose primary duties include the industry, custody, or treatment of inmates shall be required during the first year of employment to complete a basic training program consisting of a minimum of forty (40) hours provided or approved by the Tennessee Corrections Institute.

This requirement applies only to Type I, II, and III Facilities.

(9) All detention or correctional facilities employees, including part-time employees, whose primary duties include the industry, custody, or treatment of inmates shall be required to complete an annual in-service program designed to instruct them in specific skill areas of facility operations. This annual in-service shall consist of forty (40) hours with at least sixteen (16) of these hours provided or approved by the Tennessee Corrections Institute. The remaining twenty-four (24) hours may be provided by the facility if course content is approved and monitored by the Tennessee Corrections Institute.

This requirement applies only to Type I, II, and III Facilities.

(10) A minimum number of hours of training and any additional courses for basic and in-service training shall be in compliance with the requirements established by the Tennessee Corrections Institute Board of Control.

This requirement applies only to Type I, II, and III Facilities.

(11) All facility employees who are authorized to use firearms and less lethal weapons shall receive basic and ongoing in-service training in the use of these weapons. Training shall include decontamination procedures for individuals exposed to chemical agents. All such training shall be recorded with the dates completed and kept in the employee's personnel file.

This requirement applies only to Type I and II Facilities.

(12) Facilities shall maintain records on the types and hours of training completed by each correctional employee, support employee and non-facility support staff.

This requirement applies only to Type I, II, and III Facilities.

(13) Tennessee P.O.S.T. certified officers may perform the basic functions outlined within the standards, if the correctional facility has been approved as a Type IV facility by the Tennessee Corrections Institute Board of Control. Any employee who does not possess or maintain a P.O.S.T. Certification as specified in this rule, shall be required to comply with all training and reporting standards outlined within the minimum jail standards and policy contained in Tenn. Comp R. & Regs. 1400-06. Under no circumstances shall any employee of a correctional facility be allowed to perform correctional functions without possessing a valid Tennessee P.O.S.T. Certification (for Type IV Facility) or certification from the Tennessee Corrections Institute (All Facilities) as it relates to the duties of a correctional employee.

This requirement applies only to Type IV Facilities.

Notes

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1400-01-.06

Original rule filed August 9, 1982; effective September 8, 1982. Repeal and new chapter filed June 29, 1984; effective September 11, 1984. Repeal and new rule filed October 29, 2014; effective January 27, 2015. Amendments filed September 1, 2017; effective November 30, 2017. Amendments filed October 24, 2017; effective 1/22/2018.

Authority: T.C.A. § 41-4-140.