PC647F C-120 FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: SOBERING UNITS — INTAKE AND RELEASE OF INEBRIATED INMATES NO: C-120
FILE: PC647F
EFFECTIVE DATE: 07-31-89 REVISED: 12-18-89, 08-06-90, 12-25-94, 11-01-97,
01-01-99, 11-01-99, 01-01-00, 12-01-01,
08-01-03, 07-01-09
AUTHORITY: Sheriff M. Mims APPROVED BY: Assistant Sheriff T. Gattie
REFERENCE: Penal Code Sections 831.5(f), 849(b)(2) and 4003; California
Medical Association's Standards for Health Services in Adult
Detention Facilities, 1994, #303; California Code of Regulations,
Title 15, Sections 1029(a)(5) and 1056; and Title 24, Part 2,
Division VIII, 470A.2.4.2.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this policy is to provide and maintain proper care and housing for
inmates who are inebriated on alcohol or drugs to the extent that they are considered to
be a threat to their own safety or the safety of others due to their state of intoxication.
POLICY:
It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Jail Division to hold inmates in the
sobering units as described in Title 15, Section 1056, who are inebriated on alcohol or
drugs to the extent that they are considered to be a threat to their own safety or the
safety of others due to their state of intoxication. Such inmates shall remain in a
sobering unit until they are able to continue with their processing into custody, release
from custody, or return to their assigned housing unit.
It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Jail Division that inebriated
arrestees will be promptly placed into a sobering unit, upon acceptance.
It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Jail Division that there shall be
intermittent direct visual checks of the sobering units a minimum of twice every thirty
(30) minutes. If an inmate is held in a sobering unit for more than six (6) hours, they
shall receive a documented medical examination by a medical staff member to
determine whether the inmate has an urgent medical problem.
It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Jail Division that if an intoxicated
inmate is held in custody for more than six (6) hours, a sack lunch shall be provided.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: SOBERING UNITS — INTAKE AND RELEASE OF INEBRIATED INMATES NO: C-120
FILE: PC647F
It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Jail Division that inmates arrested
for public intoxication shall be held for a minimum of four (4) hours from the time they
are booked. Notwithstanding, they will not be released until they are able to care for
themselves, are able to understand that their signature on a citation is their written
promise to appear (if applicable), or until a responsible person appears at the facility
and agrees to accept responsibility for their well-being.
PROCEDURES:
I. INTAKE OF INTOXICATED INMATES
A. Any arrestee brought to the facility intoxicated on alcohol or drugs to
the extent that they are unable to care for themselves shall be required
to remain in a sobering unit until they are able to sufficiently care for
themselves and continue the booking process. This stipulation applies
regardless of their charge, and whether they are to be released from
custody or routed to a housing floor.
B. All arrestees placed in a sobering unit due to their inebriated condition
shall be visually monitored by Jail staff a minimum of twice every thirty
(30) minutes. Each observation should include-
1. Observation of the inmate's breathing to determine that breathing
is regular. Breathing should not be erratic nor indicate that the
person is having difficulty breathing. Loud, heavy snoring sound
in respiration is an indication of difficulty in breathing.
2. Observation of the inmate to ensure that there has been no
vomiting while sleeping. Ensuring that intoxicated persons remain
on their side rather than on their back will prevent aspiration of
stomach contents.
3. At least once every thirty (30) minutes, an arousal attempt to
ensure that the person will respond to verbal or pressure
stimulation should be made. If unable to obtain verbal response
to stimulation, the officer must enter the sobering unit and attempt
to arouse the person to assess consciousness.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: SOBERING UNITS — INTAKE AND RELEASE OF INEBRIATED INMATES NO: C-120
FILE: PC647F
C. The intermittent, direct visual observation is the best method to
promptly identify and report signs of deteriorating medical conditions
(i.e., the inmate is less easily aroused, there is a decreasing ability to
follow simple commands, the inmate has difficulty breathing, the
inmate appears acutely ill).
D. Documented visual inspections shall be recorded on a computer,
utilizing the Safety Check System (SCS). Staff members assigned to
the Main Jail 1st floor shall utilize the SCS program to document
visually checking inmates placed in the sobering cells twice every thirty
(30) minutes. The following notations shall be recorded on every
occasion when they are applicable-
1. Safety Check
2. Empty cell
3. Supervisor check
E. If an arrestee is held for more than six (6) hours in a sobering unit, the
Booking I Officer shall ensure the following is performed-
1. A recorded medical observation is completed by a medical staff
member to determine if the inmate has an urgent medical
problem.
2. The inmate is provided with a sack lunch. The officer assigned to
give the inmate a sack lunch shall be required to input the
supplemental meal information in the COMMENT section of the
appropriate SCS entry.
3. The documentation of the medical evaluation shall be recorded
utilizing the SCS program.
11. INMATES CHARGED WITH PC 647(f)
A. The arresting/transporting officer shall submit the completed
paperwork to the Booking Officer accepting arrest tags.
1. If the arrestee is too intoxicated to provide a legible signature on
the property envelope, the transporting officer shall initial the
envelope and write "too drunk to sign" in the area provided for a
signature.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: SOBERING UNITS — INTAKE AND RELEASE OF INEBRIATED INMATES NO: C-120
FILE: PC647F
2. Once the arrestee has been accepted into custody, they shall be
admitted into the facility and searched as per policy.
B. A yellow identification wristband shall be attached to the arrestee's
right wrist with the following information written clearly-
1. Arrestee's name
2. "PC 647(f)"
3. Date of birth
4. Time of arrival (to assist in monitoring the six (6) hour time
limitation)
5. Booking and JID number
C. The inmate shall be placed into a sobering unit which has been
designed specifically to house intoxicated inmates.
1. The rated capacity for the sobering units limits the number of
inmates to no more than six (6) per cell.
2. Male and female inmates shall be housed separately and placed
in the designated sobering units.
D. The inmate shall be booked and the PC 647(f) charge shall be handled
in accordance with any instructions indicated on the arrest tag (i.e.,
cited) or released — no charges filed.
1. If the PC 647(f) charge is the only charge and is to be released
(no charge filed), the booking shall be initiated via the Short
Booking workflow. The PC 647(f) charge will be booked and
dispositioned "No Charges Filed".
2. If the PC 647(f) is the only charge and is to be cited, the arresting
agency will write "Release on Citation Only" in the REMARKS
section of the arrest tag. The booking shall be initiated via the
Short Booking workflow and the arrestee will be issued a citation.
3. If the PC 647(f) is not the only charge, then the PC 647(f) charge
shall be handled as any other misdemeanor charge (e.g., cited,
allowed to go "Past Time to File", etc.).
E. The inmate's paperwork, property envelope and money envelope shall
be routed to the Jail Records office.
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: SOBERING UNITS — INTAKE AND RELEASE OF INEBRIATED INMATES NO: C-120
FILE: PC647F
F. The inmate shall remain in the sobering unit until they are sober
enough to continue with the booking process. Sober inmates should
be removed from the sobering unit as soon as possible.
III. BOOKING A PC 647(f) WITH A WARRANT(S)
A. In the event a warrant is located on a PC 647(f) inmate at the time of
booking, the Booking Officer shall process the inmate into custody as
per the current policies and procedures.
B. If the warrant will be cited, the PC 647(f) charge shall be handled in
accordance with any instructions on the arrest tag (e.g., cited) or
released — no charges filed.
C. If the warrant causes the inmate to remain in custody, the PC 647(f)
charge shall be handled as any other misdemeanor charge.
D. The yellow PC 647(f) wristband shall be removed and replaced with a
red wristband.
IV. INMATES ALREADY IN CUSTODY DISCOVERED TO BE INTOXICATED
A. In the event that an inmate already in custody is discovered to be
inebriated and is considered to be a threat to their own safety or the
safety of others due to their state of intoxication, they shall be
transferred to a sobering unit and remain there until they are able to
sufficiently care for themselves and return to a housing unit.
B. It shall be the responsibility of the housing unit officer to notify their
Facility Sergeant whenever an inmate is discovered to be intoxicated,
and to ensure that any corresponding rule violation and/or incident
report is written.
C. It shall be the responsibility of the Facility Sergeant to notify Booking I
that an intoxicated inmate will be transferred to the booking area. The
inmate shall be held in a sobering unit until they are able to sufficiently
care for themselves, and then returned to their housing unit.
V. ADDITIONAL CHARGES FILED ON A PC 647(f) BOOKING
A. In the event a PC 647(f) inmate has additional charges added, the
Notice of Additional Charges (J-169) form along with a new Fresno
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: SOBERING UNITS — INTAKE AND RELEASE OF INEBRIATED INMATES NO: C-120
FILE: PC647F
County Law Enforcement Arrest Report (J-2) shall be forwarded to the
Jail Records section to be processed.
B. If the new charge causes the inmate to remain in custody, the PC
647(f) charge shall be handled as any other misdemeanor charge.
1. The original JID/Booking number shall be retained.
2. The yellow PC 647(f) wristband shall be removed and replaced
with a red wristband.
C. If the new charge will be cited, the PC 647(f) charge shall be handled
in accordance with any instructions on the arrest tag (e.g., cited) or
released — no charges filed.
VI. RELEASE OF INTOXICATED INMATES
A. Inmates who are in custody due to drug or alcohol intoxication shall be
held for a minimum of four (4) hours from the time they are booked.
Nevertheless, they will not be released until they are able to care for
themselves, are able to understand that their signature on a citation is
their written promise to appear (if applicable), or until they can be
turned over to a responsible party. Responsible individuals-
1. Must be over the age of eighteen (18).
2. May not have been drinking.
3. Must have a valid driver's license. Identification cards are not
acceptable; the inmate must be driven away from the facility by
the party accepting responsibility for them.
B. If the inmate does not have a responsible individual willing to transport
them from the facility, the Lobby Officer will contact the 1st Floor Officer
when the intoxicated inmate's four (4) hours have expired and they are
eligible for release.
C. The 1st Floor Officer shall determine if the intoxicated inmate is ready
for release.
1. If the inmate is still too intoxicated to be released, the 1st Floor
Officer shall inform the Lobby Officer. The Lobby Officer is
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FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
TITLE: SOBERING UNITS — INTAKE AND RELEASE OF INEBRIATED INMATES NO: C-120
FILE: PC647F
responsible for monitoring the six (6) hour time parameter and
notifying the Booking I Officer if an intoxicated inmate is held in a
sobering unit for more than six (6) hours from the time of arrival.
2. The Booking I Officer shall be responsible for providing the
intoxicated inmate with a sack lunch and notifying medical
personnel of the need for an evaluation should an inmate be held
for more than six (6) hours.
D. The release of inmates who were arrested for being intoxicated shall
be consistent with the release policy and procedures (C-210/Inmate
Release from Custody [FILE: RELEASES]).
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