823.7 All in a Day’s Work – Handling the Crew

Cancellations

The institution should be given as much notice as possible if the work-release crew cannot be picked up as scheduled.

Crew Size Change Notice

The institution should be given 24-hour notice, whenever possible, on the change of the work-release crew size to allow the institution to make arrangements.

Drop Off

Drop-off time and location will be mutually agreed upon by MoDOT and the institution. Care should be used to avoid drop off during a count if this creates a difficulty for the institution. If the pre-arranged drop-off time cannot be met for any reason, the MoDOT work-release supervisor shall notify the institution and give an estimated time of arrival and reason for the late arrival. In the event of a major disaster such as an earthquake that results in the work-release crew not being able to be delivered back to the institution, the work-release crew may be rerouted to another institution. If the communication to the local institution is not available, contact both the MoDOT and MoDOC Central Office phone numbers listed inside the front cover. Prior to drop off each day, the inmates should be asked to empty pockets and check themselves for any tools, etc. which would be construed as contraband. This is for the inmate's benefit. Any IOCs, mail, or other pertinent information should be turned in at the end of each day. Refer to IOCs for additional information. MoDOT provided equipment or apparel is considered contraband and shall not be carried into the institution. This includes sunglasses, safety glasses or hats.

Items Found Along Roadway

Inmates shall not be allowed to collect items picked up along the roadside. Properly dispose of all items picked up. Any suspicious items found shall be left in place and the supervisor contacted. If an inmate has picked up the object, have the inmate set it back down. Objects are to be handled as little as possible.

Inmates shall not drink or handle any alcoholic products found on the roadsides. Dispose of alcohol immediately. Any money found by an inmate shall be turned in to the road fund per MoDOT policy. Money that is found shall not be used to provide “treats” or food items for the work-release crew. In no case shall the inmate be allowed to keep this contraband. No exchange of money will be allowed between inmates or MoDOT work-release supervisor. The MoDOT work-release supervisor shall not accept or hold money, valuables, or personal items for inmates.

Mail

Inmates shall not mail anything under any circumstances. The MoDOT work-release supervisor shall not mail anything for or receive mail for an inmate. Any mail given to a MoDOT work-release supervisor by an inmate to mail, or mail that is received by a MoDOT work-release supervisor for an inmate shall be retained and turned in at drop off to the institution. However, if the inmate becomes hostile in an attempt to retrieve the mail, the MoDOT work-release supervisor is to return the mail. The inmate shall then be reported using an IOC.

Inmate Meals

Inmate meals are provided by the institution at taxpayer’s expense. Any complaints are to be handled by the inmates through the institution’s internal grievance procedure. Lunch will be 30 minutes. The trained MoDOT work-release supervisor must continue to watch the inmates and they will be paid for their lunch time. Do not share your lunch or purchase snacks for inmates. The institution shall provide any drink other than water, however MoDOT may provide Gatorade or equivalent in the event of hot weather. Food rewards generate problems. Special arrangements regarding feeding of a work-release crew during emergency operations, such as sandbagging during a flood, can be made if the work-release crew is to return to the institution after their normal mealtime has passed. If this situation occurs, all inmates should get the same meal and approval from the institution should be obtained if possible.

Photographs

All requests from the media to interview or photograph inmates shall be cleared with the Missouri Department of Corrections before the media is allowed to have contact. Photographs should not allow inmates to be identified. The MoDOT work-release supervisor must convey this to photographers. It is recommended that written approval be obtained from the institution for MoDOT records.

Pick Up

The pick-up point and time will be mutually agreed upon by the institution and MoDOT. Give as much notice as possible, preferably at least 24 hours, to change pick-up time. The MoDOT work-release supervisor will be given an out-count order list of inmates for the day when picking up the inmates. A copy of the inmate ID card will also be given to the MoDOT work-release supervisor. All inmates shall be dressed in appropriate attire. Appropriate gloves and footwear shall be worn and supplied by the institution or MoDOT. Work location reporting will be specific to the institution; however, they are often required to either be sent weekly to the FUM or provided at the time of pickup.

Port-A-Potty

Each district shall provide a port-a-potty for the work-release crew(s) on the work site. The inmate supervisor shall ensure the person servicing the port-a-potty does not come in contact with inmates at any time. Keep them separated, as with any other member of the public. The port-a-potty should be serviced weekly. The MoDOT work-release supervisor shall check the port-a-potty after it has been serviced. Random and frequent inspections shall be made for contraband in and around the port-a-potty. Inmates shall not use public restrooms at anytime or restrooms in MoDOT facilities since a port-a-potty is provided by the district. The port-a-potty should be secure at night.

Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)

PREA is Federal Law which must be followed when leading incarcerated personnel. The annual training conducted by each of the institutions for work release trained employees will be in much more detail than will be offered here. There is zero tolerance for any sexual abuse, harassment, or misconduct.

You must know and enforce the rules regarding the sexual conduct of inmates. Be professional at all times. Do not laugh or joke about sexual abuse with or around inmates, staff, co-workers, volunteers, or contractors. Treat every allegation of sexual assault seriously. It is very important to report any such activity to the appropriate authorities.

Rest Breaks

Inmates will be allowed a 15-minute break every two hours of work. Use judgment concerning break frequency and duration in extreme weather. Work-release crews should be provided with water and bar soap for hand washing utilizing a water cooler marked for hand washing only.

Searches

There shall be no searches of inmates by MoDOT work-release supervisors or by other inmates. If the MoDOT work-release supervisor feels that an inmate is hiding something, contact the institution for their assistance. Use of Missouri State Highway Patrol dogs for periodic inspections of vans is recommended.

Security of Personal Vehicles Parked at MoDOT Facilities

All personal vehicles parked at MoDOT facilities where inmates are or may be working shall be locked with the keys removed. This information must be shared with all people assigned to the MoDOT facility in question. Work-release crews should not be working around or near personal vehicles except for short periods of time completing other maintenance activities such as mowing or litter control.

Suspicious Vehicles

The MoDOT work-release supervisor should record the license plate of any vehicle that frequents the work site or is suspicious in some manner. Frequent passes by the same pedestrian should also be regarded as suspicious. These incidents should be documented and reported to your immediate supervisor. If necessary, the supervisor will contact the institution and report the incident and license number of the suspicious vehicle.

Transport Vehicle

The transport vehicle shall be cleaned out daily and thoroughly washed out with disinfectant weekly. Inspections for contraband shall be made during daily cleaning. Contraband is any non-MoDOT property. No deadly weapons, dangerous instruments, unauthorized drugs, tobacco, or controlled substances are allowed in the inmate’s possession or in the transport vehicle at any time. No smoking will be permitted in the transport vehicle under the same guidelines as for MoDOT personnel i.e., Personnel Policy Manual Section 2504 - All employees and visitors are prohibited from the use of tobacco products (including smokeless tobacco and non-nicotine substitutes) and electronic/vapor cigarettes in all department-owned, leased, and occupied offices, buildings, and facilities.

Work Coding

The work-release crews will be performing a wide variety of work activities and many of the inmates may not be totally familiar with the job task at hand. It is the responsibility of the MoDOT work-release supervisor to explain the expectations of the work-release crew and stress the importance in performing the task. Risk Based Assessments (RBA) have been established for the majority of activities and should be used to increase safety awareness.

The MoDOT person will be paid for their lunch time as watching the work-release crew is a requirement of the assignment. The inmate’s time is charged to the function for the work performed. The MoDOT work-release supervisor is responsible for reporting inmate coding and reporting equipment coding and mileage hours to assigned area daily. Use the appropriate function code for the work being performed. One of the following codes should be used:

Activity	Description	Job Project #	Performance Units
R22B	Welcome Centers	Yes	NONE
R227	Roadway and Bridge Safety Features	Yes	NONE (fence only)
R316	Drainage	Yes	NONE
R318	Maintain Materials on Lots	Yes	NONE (Limited)
R411	Litter Pick-up	Yes	NONE
R412	Landscaping	Yes	NONE
R413	Mowing	Yes	Shoulder Miles
R414	Brush Cutting & Tree Removal	Yes	NONE
R416	Parks and Commuter Lots	Yes	NONE
R41A	Support-Improve Roadside Appearance	No	NONE (Limited)
R41B	Brush Control	Yes	Acres
R41P	Plant Growth Regulator app	Yes	Acres
R41T	Total Vegetation Control	Yes	Acres
R41W	Noxious and Broadleaf Weed Control	Yes	Acres
R854	Operate Facilities	Yes	NONE (Limited)
R85F	Fleet Purchases and Expenses	Yes	NONE (Limited)
R85N	Consumable Inventory/Non Fleet Purchases	Yes	NONE
R911	Flood Response and Cleanup	Yes	ONE
R914	Snow and Ice Storm Cleanup	Yes	NONE
R915	Windstorm/Tornado Response and Cleanup	Yes	NONE
R917	Other Natural Disaster Response and Cleanup	Yes	NONE

Remember coding to R227 involves fence repair only and R318, R41A, R854 and R85F should be used very little.