FOREIGN NATIONALS C-130. FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FOREIGN NATIONALS NO: C-130
FILE: FOREIGN NATIONALS
EFFECTIVE DATE: 12-18-89 REVISED: 12-25-94,09-01-98,09-01-99, 11-01-99,
08-01-03,11-01-05,07-01-09,06-20-17,
10-21-19, 02-01-21
APPROVED BY: Sheriff M. Mims BY: Assistant Sheriff T. Gattie
AUTHORITY & REFERENCE: Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, Articles 5, 36,
37 and 38; "Consular Notification and Access Manual" (United States Department
of State, 2018); Penal Code Section 834c; and Prison Rape Elimination Act of
2003 (42 USC 15601); 28 CFR 115.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this policy is to provide written procedures that comply with United States
treaty obligations regarding consular notification and access.
POLICY:
It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Jail Division to notify the appropriate
foreign consular office of the detention of any foreign national when required by law or
treaty.
It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Jail Division that all foreign nationals
shall be advised of their right to communicate with consular officers representing their
nation of origin, orally and/or in writing.
It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Jail Division that all foreign nationals will
be allowed to communicate via telephone, visits and/or by mail with their consular officers.
It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Jail Division that in the event of a
foreign national's death, serious injury, or serious illness while in custody, the appropriate
consular officers will be notified.
PROCEDURES:
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FOREIGN NATIONALS NO: C-130
FILE: FOREIGN NATIONALS
I. DEFINITIONS
CONSULAR OFFICER- A foreign official authorized by the Department of State
to provide assistance to the foreign government's citizens in the United
States. Different from "counsel," which is an attorney authorized to provide
legal advice. Consuls are not authorized to practice law. "Consular officer,"
"consular official," and "consul" mean the same thing for purposes of this
policy.
FOREIGN NATIONAL — For the purpose of consular notification, a "foreign
national" is any person who is not a United States citizen. All foreign nationals
are entitled to consular notification and access, regardless of their visa or
immigration status in the United States. Thus, "illegal" aliens have the same
rights to consular assistance as do "legal" aliens.
WITHOUT DELAY — Means that there should be no deliberate delay, and that
notification should occur as soon as reasonably possible under the
circumstances.
II. NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
A. Whenever a foreign national is arrested or detained, there are legal
requirements to ensure that the foreign national's government can offer
appropriate consular assistance.
1. In all cases, the foreign national must be told of the right of consular
notification and access.
2. In most cases, the foreign national then has the option to decide
whether to have consular representatives notified of the arrest or
detention.
3. In other cases, however, the foreign national's consular officials must
be notified of an arrest and/or detention regardless of the foreign
national's wishes.
4. Whenever a foreign national is taken into custody, the detaining
official should determine whether consular notification is at the option
of the foreign national or whether it is mandatory.
B. Ordinarily, the law enforcement officers who make the arrest should make
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FOREIGN NATIONALS NO: C-130
FILE: FOREIGN NATIONALS
the determination and notification. The Booking Officer who accepts the
arrest tag shall:
1. Inquire as to whether notification has been made to the foreign
national's consular office.
2. Ensure that appropriate notification or follow-up is made to the
designated consulate.
III. MANDATORY NOTIFICATION COUNTRIES
A. Mandatory notification requirements arise from bilateral agreements
between 56 countries that have agreed to special rules with the United
States. Consular officer notification must be made regardless of whether
the national requests or wants consular notification. A list of mandatory
notification countries can be found in Addendum A to this policy.
B. Lawful permanent resident aliens (LPR's) who have a resident alien
registration card (DHS Form 1-551), commonly known as a "green card,"
are not U.S. citizens. They retain their foreign nationality and must be
considered "foreign nationals" for the purposes of consular notification.
C. Even if law enforcement officials of the foreign national's country are
aware of the detention and are helping to investigate the crime in which
the foreigner was allegedly involved, it is still necessary to ensure that the
consular notification procedures are followed.
D. If an inmate is a U.S. citizen and a national of another country (i.e., dual
citizenship), that person may be treated exclusively as a U.S. citizen.
Consular notification is not required, even if the other country is a
mandatory notification country.
IV. NOTIFICATION ADVISEMENTS
A. A sign has been conspicuously posted in the booking area and a notice
has been included in the Inmate Orientation Handbook, informing the
inmates that they have the right to have their consular official contacted.
B. All inmates who were born in a foreign country must be notified of their
right to consular notification (unless they can claim U.S. citizenship). The
inmate may be informed orally or in writing.
C. If the foreign national's country is on the list of mandatory notification
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FOREIGN NATIONALS NO: C-130
FILE: FOREIGN NATIONALS
countries, the nearest consulate shall be notified and the inmate shall be
advised of the following:
'Because of your nationality, we are required to notify your country's
consular officers here in the United States that you have been arrested or
detained. We will do this as soon as possible. In addition, you may
communicate with your consular officers. You are not required to accept
their assistance, but your consular officers may be able to help you obtain
legal representation, and may contact your family and visit you in
detention, among other things. Please sign to show that you have
received this information."
D. If the foreign national's country is not on the mandatory notification list,
offer,without delay, to notify the foreign national's consular officials of the
arrest/detention. The inmate shall be advised of the following:
'As a non-U.S. citizen who is being arrested or detained,you may request
that we notify your country's consular officers here in the United States of
your situation. You may also communicate with your consular officers. A
consular officer may be able to help you obtain legal representation, and
may contact your family and visit you in detention, among other things. If
you want us to notify your consular officers, you can request this
notification now, or at any time in the future. Do you want us to notify your
consular officers at this time?"
E. Translations of both statements are available in Arabic, Burmese,
Cambodian, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Creole, Farsi, French,
German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean,
Lao, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian,Spanish, Tagalog(Filipino),
Thai and Vietnamese. (Refer to G/RefMat/Custody/Forms/ Foreign
Consulate Forms.)
V. CONSULAR NOTIFICATION
A. All consular notifications are to be made without delay. The consular
notification should be made by fax if possible, and by telephone, if not.
B. The reason for the detention does not have to be provided in the initial
communication. The inmate may or may not want this information
communicated. The charges shall not be provided unless requested
specifically by the consular officer, and/or if the inmate authorizes the
disclosure. If a consular officer insists that he/she is entitled to
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FOREIGN NATIONALS NO: C-130
FILE: FOREIGN NATIONALS
information about an inmate that the inmate does not want disclosed, the
Department of State can provide guidance. (Different requirements may
apply if there is a relevant bilateral agreement.)
C. Under no circumstances should any information indicating that a foreign
national may have applied for asylum be disclosed to that person's
government.
D. The fax and telephone number of the consular office can be obtained via
the following-
1. Addendum B provides a list of consular offices that are more
commonly contacted.
2. A complete list of all foreign consular offices in the United States can
be obtained via the Department of State's webslte Qravel.state.aov/QNA).
(If unable to access, contact the Booking/Records Sergeant to obtain
the information.)
3. By contacting the Bureau of Consular Affairs at(202)647-4415 during
regular business hours.
4. For urgent telephone inquiries after normal business hours, call the
Department of State Operations Center at (202) 647-1512.
E. In cases of emergencies (such as death, serious injury, or serious
illness), efforts should be made to contact consular officers outside of
normal hours. Such notification should be made by fax or email, if
possible, and by telephone, if not.
VI. BOOKING RESPONSIBILITY
A. The consulate notification statement (mandatory or optional, as
applicable) shall be provided to the inmate in the language of their
preference. Translations of both statements are available in the G-drive
(G/RefMat/Custody/Forms/Foreign Consulate Forms).
1. Statement 1 informs the inmate of their option to notify the consular
office. The inmate is required to make a decision (YES or NO). The
Booking Officer shall witness the inmate's signature on the form.
Alternatively, a Consulate Notification (J-184) form may be utilized.
2. Statement 2 notices the inmate that notification of the consular office
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FOREIGN NATIONALS NO: C-130
FILE: FOREIGN NATIONALS
is mandatory and the consulate has (or will be) notified. The Booking
Officer shall witness the inmate's signature acknowledging receipt of
the notification.
3. The inmate shall be provided information on how to contact the
relevant consular office. The Booking Officer shall indicate the
telephone number and address of the nearest consular office on the
form, and provide the inmate with a copy of the form.
4. The original/signed form shall be scanned into the inmate's records
(under Communications/Teletype).
B. If a foreign national's country is on the mandatory notification list, or if the
inmate requests that their consular office be notified, the appropriate
consular office shall be notified. The consular notification should be
made by fax or email if possible, and by telephone if not. If more than
one notification is necessary, each notification shall be made separately.
1. A copy of the fax and fax confirmation receipt, or the sent email, shall
be scanned into the inmate's records (under Communications/
Teletype).
2. If unable to fax, a telephone call shall be made to the consulate office.
The foreign national's information shall be orally communicated to a
live person, or a message left on an answering machine (if available).
C. The inmate's DEMOGRAPHICS screen shall be modified to reflect the
country of citizenship and whether the consular office was notified
("Consl/Cit" and "Notified?" under the Add/Tele/CDC/Consul tab).
1. If notification was made via telephone, the NOTES section shall be
modified to document the location and telephone number of the
consulate contacted, the name of the official to whom the information
was given, and the date and time of notification. If a message was
left, indicate as such.
2. Passport information shall be entered, if available ["Additional
Identification" under the Names tab; IDENTITY NUMBER = the
passport number; DESCRIPTION = name of the issuing country.]
D. The inmate shall be allowed to make a telephone call to the appropriate
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FOREIGN NATIONALS NO: C-130
FILE: FOREIGN NATIONALS
foreign consular office at the time of booking or as soon as possible
following booking.
NOTE: Providing the inmate access to a telephone and relevant phone
number does not alleviate the agency's obligation to contact consular
officials. Such access is only sufficient to satisfy the obligation to permit
consular communication.
VI I. NOTIFICATIONS SUBSEQUENT TO BOOKING
A. If an inmate's foreign nationality was not known or could not be
determined at the time of arrest and/or booking, or if the inmate later
decides (subsequent to booking) that he/she wishes for their foreign
consulate to be notified, it will be necessary to complete consular
notification procedures at that time.
B. If at any time an inmate decides that they want their foreign consular
office notified, the Facility Sergeant shall be notified. The Sergeant shall
ensure that the procedure to contact the consular office is initiated and
documented. (Refer to the procedures under Section VI.)
Vill. CONSULAR COMMUNICATIONS, FACILITY ACCESS AND VISITATION
PRIVILEGES
A. The United States has bilateral agreements with the following countries
requiring that the foreign consular officers be allowed to converse with
their national in private-
1. Antigua and Barbuda; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Brunei; Costa
Rica; Cyprus; Dominica; Fiji; Gambia; Ghana; Grenada; Guyana-Ireland; Jamaica; Japan; Kirti; Kuwait; Malaysia; Malta; Mauritius;
Nigeria; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Tanzania; Tonga;
Trinidad and Tobago; Tuvalu; United Kingdom; Zambia; and
Zimbabwe. (Refer to Addendum C for the list of associated telephone
numbers that have been blocked from monitoring and recording.)
2. In cases of nationals of other countries, privacy is encouraged but not
required.
B. A consular officer may communicate with a foreign national in custody by
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FOREIGN NATIONALS NO: C-130
FILE: FOREIGN NATIONALS
any or all of the following methods-
1. Written correspondence. Correspondence via the U.S. Postal Service
shall be treated as confidential mail. Inmates may correspond
confidentially, but at their own expense, with all officials of a foreign
consulate.
2. Contact visits. The visit should be conducted in the attorney interview
area. These visits will not count as a personal visit.
3. Telephone calls from the inmate. If the consulate refuses to accept a
collect call from a foreign national inmate, the obligation allowing the
inmate to communicate with the consular officer is satisfied by
permitting the inmate to communicate by letter. However, the
Department of State encourages permitting telephone
communications, including direct calls to consulates that do not accept
collect calls, as long as the privilege is not abused.
4. In an emergency, the Watch Commander may be contacted by a
Consular Official to relay a message directly to the foreign national in
custody.
C. Consular officers may have access to the inmate regardless of whether
the inmate requests it. If the foreign national does not want consular
assistance, the consular officer should be allowed an opportunity to
confirm this fact directly, through a one-time face-to-face visit.
D. Consular officers and diplomats must have proper identification to gain
facility access. They should be carrying identification cards issued by the
Department of State. The cards have a red border, the person's photo
and "Consular Identification Card"written across the top left side. If there
is any doubt about the authenticity of a Department of State identification
card, the Department of State's Office of Protocol may be contacted at
(202) 647-1985 to have the identity and status of the official verified
during business hours (8.15 a.m. — 5.00 p.m., EST) or the Department's
Bureau of Diplomatic Security at (202) 647-7277, (571) 345-3146, or
(866) 217-2089 outside of those hours.
E. A consular officer may take actions contrary to the foreign national's
interests, and is not required to preserve the confidences of the foreign
national unless so required under the laws of his or her own country.
IX. TRANSLATION SERVICES
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: FOREIGN NATIONALS NO: C-130
FILE: FOREIGN NATIONALS
A. If an inmate requires translation services in a language not commonly
spoken, contact the Sheriff's Office interpretation service provider.
B. Voiance provides 24-hour service in hundreds of languages, including
American Sign Language (via video interpretation). [Refer toAddendumsol and oz.]
1. Contact the service at 1-866-998-0338.
2. Enter the Sheriff's Office account number (XXXXX), the Jail's PIN
(XXXX), and employee ID number (numeric only). Select 1" to
confirm.
3. Select the language needed:
"1" for Spanish
"2" for Punjabi
"3" for Hmong
'A" for Lao
"5" for Cambodian
"0" for all other languages or customer service
C. Brief the interpreter on the nature of the call and begin the conversation.
D. Document the translator's name and identification number as a
GENERAL LOG entry. (LOG—.INMATE LOG; LOG TYPE=GENERAL)
X. RECORDKEEPING
A. Written records which show compliance with notification requirements
shall be maintained and scanned into the inmate's file. The records
should include all notifications to foreign consular representatives.
B. In cases in which notification is at the discretion of the inmate, records
should indicate that the inmate was informed of the option of consular
notification, the date when the inmate was so informed, and whether or
not the inmate requested that consular officers be notified.
C. If a foreign national dies, is seriously injured, or becomes seriously ill, the
nearest consulate of the inmate's country shall be notified as soon as
reasonably possible. The notification should be made by fax or email if
possible, and by telephone if not. The notification shall be documented in
the incident report, and a copy of the fax and fax confirmation receipt or
sent email shall be scanned into the inmate's records.
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