31-b-2 Federal Bureau of Prisons Classification Guidelines[1]

LibraryA Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual (2020 Edition)

31-B-2. Federal Bureau of Prisons Classification Guidelines[1]

(a) Security Level Score

In the federal prison system, new prisoners are assigned a security level score by a Community Corrections Manager in the Bureau of Prisons ("BOP"). This score is used by Regional and Central Office Designators to assign new prisoners to an institution with a corresponding level of security, as determined by the security measures in place at the institution.2

Approximately seven months after a prisoner arrives at the institution, he will have his first program review following initial classification. At this time, the prisoner will be given a custody classification score. This score refers to how much staff supervision is required for the prisoner within and beyond the confines of the institution. It determines, among other things, the types of work assignments and activities that a prisoner may participate in, and the level of staff supervision required.3 Note that the custody level score is different from the security level score, which is used to match a prisoner with a specific type of institution based on the institution's security features.

A prisoner's custody classification must be reviewed at least every twelve months and is usually reviewed at the same time as program reviews.4 Additionally, a prisoner's security level and custody level will usually be reviewed when a new sentence is imposed, when a sentence is reduced, when a disciplinary action occurs, or when there is a "change in external factors" that "might affect the security or custody level."5

The calculation of a new prisoner's security level score is based on the prisoner's Pre-Sentence Investigation Report ("PSI"), a copy of the judgment from the prisoner's case, and the Individual Custody and Detention Report provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. Where no PSI has...

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