Texas Offender Grievance Operations Manual

Description

An effective grievance program extends far beyond the staff of the grievance department. It involves an ongoing commitment to solving problems by each staff member at every unit. One sign of a well- managed correctional facility is the sensitivity of staff to the problems and complaints of offenders under their care. A large portion of complaints being resolved at the lowest level characterizes an effective grievance mechanism. The grievance program provides a variety of supportive and protective functions. It gives offenders an alternative to confrontation, thereby increasing facility safety and decreasing offender aggression. The program offers the offender a less formal alternative to litigation, thus saving taxpayers the cost of defending the agency in court. Grievances, when taken collectively, provide a wealth of insight in to the daily operations of the unit. Grievances are self-monitoring tools, which help reduce the need for external monitoring, such as the judicial oversight, which the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has experienced in the past. Introduction Mission Statement, Philosophy, and Goals Confidentiality Grievance Procedures Step 1 Grievance Procedures 1.01 Step 1 Grievances 1.02 Step 1 Grievance Screening 1.03 Step 1 Emergency Grievances - Non PREA Allegations 1.04 PREA Allegations 1.05 Regular Grievances 1.06 Staff Use of Slurs or Hostile Epithets 1.07 Step 1 Property Grievances 1.08 Step 1 Disciplinary Appeals 1.09 Step 1 Medical Grievances 1.10 Transferring Step 1 Grievances (TG) to the Unit oflncident 1.11 Step1 Unit Records & File Management 1.12 Step 2 Grievances Received at Unit Step 2 Grievance Procedures 2.01 Step 2 Grievances 2.02 Step 2 Grievance Sorting and Prioritizing 2.03 Step 2 Grievance Routing 2.04 Step 2 Grievance Screening 2.05 Step 2 Emergency Grievances 2.06 Step 2 Functional Area Proponent Grievances 2.07 Step 2 Property Grievances 2.08 Step 2 Disciplinary Appeals 2.09 Step 2 Medical Grievances 2.10 Final Step 2 Grievance Process III. Grievance Codes 3.00 Grievance Codes IV. Times Limits 4.00 Grievance Time Limits V. Translations 5.00 Translations VI. Transportation Grievances 6.00 Transportation Grievances VII. OIG Referrals 7.00 Office ofthe Inspector General (OIG) Referrals VIII. Completing E-Form 8.00 Completing the E-Form IX. Third Party Grievances 9.00 X. Appendix A. Grievance Forms List B. Instructions on How to Write and Submit Grievances (English / Spanish) - OG-02 C. Non-Grievable Issues Return Fmm D. Issue Codes Table of Contents/ Issue Codes List E. Grievance Codes F. Step 1 Offender Grievance Form, English and Spanish- I- 127 G. Step 2 Offender Grievance Form, English and Spanish-I-128 H. Grievance Investigation Worksheet - OG-01 I. Emergency Checklist OG-004 J. Fact Sheet for OIG Investigation OG-009 (Jl-Stepl, J2-Step2) K. Disciplinary Worksheet and Document Checklist- OG-005 L. Documents and Forms Required for Investigation o f Medical Grievances Checklist M. Notice of Extension-OG-007 N. Property Settlement Agreement Form O. Monetary Reimbursement Agreement Form P. Definitions Q. AD-02.29, "Records Management", Attachment, A-Records Disposition Log R. Staff Use of Slurs or Epithets Referral Form S. New Grievance Employee Training Verification Form T. Offender Grievance Operations Manual Employee Verification Form U. Third Party Preliminary Investigation F01m V. Resolution Codes W. Restricted and Confidential Form