14642 Conduct Prisoner and Security Searches in a Prison Environment

Explanatory notes

1This unit standard is intended for workplace assessment.

2Boundaries of unit standard

This unit standard covers rubdowns, scanner, and x-ray searches and cell, prison worksite and personal property searches. It does not cover internal cavity searches.

This unit standard does not cover searches of staff and prison visitors and their personal property or vehicles which are covered by Unit 27295,Conduct non-prisoner and property searches in a prison environment.

This unit standard does not cover the use of x-ray and electronic scanner equipment which is covered by Unit 27293, Operate x-ray and electronic scanning equipment in a prison environment.

3References

Corrections Act 2004;

Corrections Regulations 2005;

Crimes Act 1961;

Crimes of Torture Act 1989;

Criminal Justice Act 1985;

Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;

New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990;

Parole Act 2002;

Privacy Act 1993;

PS Operations Manual, Department of Corrections, available at http://www.corrections.govt.nz/policy-and-legislation/ps-operations-manual.html;

Sentencing Act 2002;

and their subsequent amendments or replacements.

4Definitions

Drugs – prescription medicines and illicit drugs.

IOMS – Integrated Offender Management System.
Prison environment – any area, within a prison site or external to a prison site where prisoners are held, such as a cell block, within the prison perimeter, on a prison farm, in a vehicle transporting prisoners.

Prohibited items – items identified in P.01, Schedule 04 of PSOM.

Search – may include but not limited to – strip searches, rub-downs, x-ray searches, scanner searches; prisoner search, site and cell search, property search, prison worksite search.
Search equipment – may include but not limited to – gloves, mirrors, hand-held scanners.

Unauthorised items – those items that prisoners must not have access to within prisons, in accordance with sections 3 (unauthorised items) and 43(2) of the Corrections Act 2004.

5Assessment range

aPerformance of the outcomes of this unit standard must meet all the principles of behaviour and criteria as detailed in the Prison Services Operations Manual (PSOM), Department of Corrections (available at http://www.corrections.govt.nz/policy-and-legislation/ps-operations-manual.html), the Department of Corrections Code of Conduct, other documented national policies and procedures, and prison-specific procedures.

bThe range statements in this unit standard must be applied according to prison- specific equipment, procedures, and processes.

Outcomes and evidence requirements

Outcome 1

Isolate individual prisoner and search area.

Evidence requirements

1.1Carry out isolation activities.

1.2Identify locations of individuals in relation to search area and individuals to be searched and implement actions to ensure adherence to all standards.

Outcome 2

Conduct search in a prison environment.

Evidence requirements

2.1Advise individuals of their rights and explain the process.

Rangemay include but not limited to – prisoner search, site and cell searches, prison worksite search.

2.2Apply health and safety procedures and equipment requirements for all searches.

2.3Carry out site and cell searches.

2.4Carry out prisoner searches.

2.5Use search equipment.

2.6Identify unauthorised and prohibited items.

Rangeunauthorised items include but are not limited to – drugs, alcohol, weapons, chemicals, money.

Outcome 3

Manage search outcome in a prison environment.

Evidence requirements

3.1Determine whether charges are to be laid against individuals found with prohibited and/or unauthorised items based on the assessed risk, incident, nature and quantity of items and in consultation with relevant officers.

Outcome 4

Manage unauthorised items and exhibits obtained during search.

Evidence requirements

4.1Maintain chain of evidence integrity.

4.2Remove unauthorised items and exhibits from search area.

4.3Securely store unauthorised items and exhibits and make available to authorised people when required for legal action.

4.4Describe the process of disposing of items and exhibits within required timeframes.

4.5Return unauthorised items not subject to charges to stored prisoner property.

Outcome 5

Record results of prison search.

Rangemay include but is not limited to – incident reports, misconduct forms, IOMS, exhibit forms, search and lock up book, registers, evidence register, notebook;

evidence of three is required.

Evidence requirements

5.1Record search information completely, concisely, accurately, and legibly in the required format and scheduled timeframe.

This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.

Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions

This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.

Please note

Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.

Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.

Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.

Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.