Prison Survey form

National Survey on Correctional Contraband (NSCC)

Prison Survey form

National Survey on Correctional Contraband

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Appendix C:
Prison Survey Form

State Prison Form

National Survey of Correctional Contraband
National Survey of Correctional Contraband: With funding from the National Institute of Justice and in
partnership with the American Correctional Association, the Urban Institute is working on a project to
better understand contraband and contraband interdiction. As part of this effort, your agency was
selected to participate in the National Survey of Correctional Contraband (NSCC). The NSCC is being
administered to all state prisons and a sample of jails across the country.
The NSCC has four objectives:


To estimate the prevalence and types of contraband known to administrators.



To determine the methods by which contraband is introduced to inmates (e.g., through visitation, mail,
or correctional staff; by modifying items found in the facility; etc.).



To quantify the occurrence of contraband-related violence and misconduct in correctional facilities.



To understand the types of interdiction modalities used in these facilities and what kinds of
contraband these modalities target.

Why participate in the NSCC? At its conclusion, this project will provide clear and practical information to
correctional agencies about the prevalence of contraband in the U.S., the methods by which contraband
enters correctional facilities, which interdiction modalities are used to prevent and remove contraband,
how administrators can select and implement these interdiction modalities, and lessons learned related to
the cost, implementation challenges, and efficacy of these modalities.
Survey instructions: We are seeking one survey response per facility in your state, including facilities
operated directly by your agency and those privately operated but contracted to house inmates on behalf
of your agency. This survey should be completed by the person or persons in your agency most
knowledgeable about your data and/or your current practices and policies regarding contraband. This may
require the input of multiple people across multiple departments within your agency. We ask that you
complete the survey by September 30, 2018.
Burden statement: The survey takes approximately 90 minutes to complete.
Research protections: Your participation in this survey is voluntary and the name of the responding
individual(s) will be confidential. By providing answers to these survey questions, you consent to
participate in this study. However, you may stop at any time or decline to answer any question.
Once all surveys have been collected, we will archive survey responses with the Interuniversity
Consortium for Political and Social Research’s National Archive of Criminal Justice Data. These data will
not be made available to the public and through data use requests to ICPSR.

Disclaimer: This project was supported by Award No. 2015-IJ-CX-K001, awarded by the National
Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and
conclusions or recommendations expressed in this survey are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily
reflect those of the Department of Justice.

Thank you in advance for your participation. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact
the [email protected] or call the toll-free NSCC helpline at (844) 288-4427.

State Prison Form

RETURN TO

National Survey of
Correctional Contraband

Urban Institute
2100 M St NW
Washington, DC 20037

State Prison Form

DATA SUPPLIED BY
Name

Title

________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________
OFFICIAL
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
E-MAIL
ADDRESS

Number and Street or PO Box

City

State

_________________________________________

________________________ __________

Zip
_______________________

Area Code

Number

Extension

_______________

________________________________________________

___________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FACILITY INFORMATION
Facility Name
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FACILITY
ADDRESS

Number and Street or PO Box

City

State

___________________________________________ ________________________ __________

Zip
_______________________

What types of facilities are included in this survey?
This survey includes all correctional facilities administered by state governments or by private corporations
primarily for state governments, which are intended for adults but may sometimes hold juveniles. For purposes of
this survey, a facility has a separate budget and administrator. Facilities that share budgets or administrators
should be reported as a single facility.
 INCLUDE prisons, penitentiaries, correctional institutions, and other correctional facilities primarily holding
sentenced inmates for a state department of corrections (which are sometimes called boot camps; residential
community correction centers; prison farms; reception, diagnostic, and classification centers; road camps;
forestry and conservation camps; youthful offender facilities; vocational training facilities; prison hospitals;
and drug and alcohol treatment facilities for prisoners)
 INCLUDE state-operated local detention facilities in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island,
and Vermont
 EXCLUDE privately-operated facilities that do not primarily house state inmates
 EXCLUDE facilities operated and administered by local governments that do not primarily house state
prisoners
 EXCLUDE facilities that hold only persons under the jurisdiction of juvenile correctional authorities

State Prison Form






Reporting instructions
Please provide one survey response for each facility in your jurisdiction.
If the answer to a question is “not available” or “unknown,” write “DK” in the space provided.
If the answer to a question in “not applicable,” write “NA” in the space provided.
If the answer to a question is “none,” or “zero,” write “0” in the space provided.
When the exact numeric answers are not available, provide estimates and check
the box beside each figure that is estimated. For example: 789


Section
I—Facility
Characteristics
Section
I—Facility
Characteristics

5. What type of architectural design does this
facility look most like?

1. Who operates this facility?
Select only one option.

01.
02.
03.
04.

01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.

01.

Radial—a linear-like design with many cells in
a row straight through each cell block
02. Telephone-pole—a linear design in which inmates and staff move along the main corridor
03. Campus—a design made up of several buildings spread across a large area
04. Courtyard—a mix of telephone-pole and campus design, in which a building is built around a
What is the primary level of physical security
center (e.g., a courtyard)
for this facility?
05
.
Other:
Specify__________________________________
Select only one option.
_____________________________________________________
None (e.g., jail without a security classification)
___________________________________________________
Super maximum
Maximum/close/high
Medium
Minimum/low
Administrative (e.g., medical facilities)
State authority
Local authority
Joint state and local authority
Private contractor

Other: specify __________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

3. What type of area is this facility located?
Select only one option.

01.
02.
03.

Select only one option.

Urban
Suburban
Rural/Frontier

4. Are the majority of housing units or inmates in
this facility under direct supervision?

6. Does this facility have a secure perimeter or
barrier, such as walls, to keep inmates from
leaving the facility?

01. Yes
02. No

7. On December 31, 2017, what was the design
capacity and rated capacity of this facility?
Design capacity is number of inmates that planners or architects intended for this facility.

Design Capacity

__________________ 

Rated capacity is the maximum number of beds or inmates
authorized by a rating official for safe and efficient operation.
It may exceed design capacity due to double bunking. However,
beds in an area not designed as sleeping space, such as day
rooms and multipurpose rooms, should not be included in rated
capacity.

Direct supervision occurs when correctional staff are physically
stationed inside a housing unit and directly observing inmates.

01. Yes
02. No
B.

Rated Capacity

__________________ 

State Prison Form

8. In what year was the original construction
completed on this facility?

13. On December 31, 2017, how many full-time
and part-time staff employed or contracted by
this facility were:
If more than one building, provide the year for the oldest build-

ing that includes a sleeping area for inmates.

Count each employee only once.

Year of original construction __________________

Classify employees with multiple functions by the one performed most frequently.

Section
SectionII—Inmate
II—Inmateand
andStaff
StaffCounts
Counts

9. Between January 1, 2017, and December 31,
2017, what was the average daily population
of this facility?
To calculate the average daily population, add the number of
persons for each day during the period between January 1,
2017, and December 31, 2017, and divide the result by 365.
Average daily population

Security staff
Officers of all ranks and other uniformed staff who, regardless
of their staff title, are in direct contact with inmates, and
involved in their daily custody, care, supervision or monitoring. Includes correctional officers, line staff, and supervisors.

Male________________ Female ________________
B.

Other/non-security staff
All non-uniformed/civilian employees, such as treatment staff,
educational staff, clerical staff, maintenance staff, medical
personnel, and other professional and technical staff.

__________________

Male________________ Female ________________ 

10. On December 31, 2017, how many inmates in
this facility were:

A.
B.
C.
D.



Unsentenced (i.e., pretrial)
Sentenced less than 1 year
Sentenced 1 year or more
Total

__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________ 

11. On December 31, 2017, how many inmates in
this facility were:

Male________________ Female ________________ 


Section
III—Facility
Programs
Section
III—Facility
Programs
14. How many inmates in this facility were participating in each type of work assignment on December 31, 2017?

Include all inmates temporarily absent from this facility (e.g.,
for court appearances, brief furloughs, and medical leave.
Exclude all inmates who were on escape or absent without
leave (AWOL).

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Males under age 18
Females under age 18
Males age 18 or older
Females age 18 or older
Total

__________________
__________________
__________________ 
__________________ 
__________________ 

Include all that apply. For example, if an inmate is involved in
prison industries as well as farming/agriculture, he/she should
be counted once under each category.

12. Between January 1, 2017, and December 31,
D.
2017, how many volunteers were allowed into
this facility?
Count each volunteer only once.
Volunteers may include service providers, educators, religious/ministry leaders, etc.

Male________________ Female ________________

Total

Prison industries (e.g. license plates, wood product,
textiles, etc.)
____________________
Facility support services (e.g. office/administrative
work, food services, building maintenance, etc.)
____________________ 
Farming/agriculture
____________________
Public works assignments (inmates work outside
the facility and perform road, park, or other public
maintenance work)
____________________
Other: specify ________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
____________________ 

State Prison Form

15. How many inmates in this facility were enrolled in or receiving the following types of
treatment programming or services on December 31, 2017?
Include all that apply. For example, if an inmate is involved in
substance abuse/addiction program as well as mental health
services/treatment, he/she should be counted once under
each category.

A.
B.
C.

Substance abuse/addiction treatment
____________________
Alcohol abuse/addiction treatment
____________________ 
Mental health services/treatment
____________________ 
Other: specify ________________________________________
________________________________________________________
____________________ 

Total contraband recoveries ________________ 

Which types of contraband were included in this
number?
Select all that apply.

01.

02.
03.

04.

05.
06.
07.

16. Does this facility operate work release, educa08.
tional release, and/or treatment release programs that allow inmates to work in the com09.
munity unsupervised by facility staff, but require them to return to the facility at night?
01. Yes—How many inmates were participating on
December 31, 2017?____________________ 
02. No

Section
SectionIV—Contraband
IV—ContrabandRecoveries
Recoveries
17. Please report the total number of contraband
recoveries in this facility between January 1,
2017 and December 31, 2017, and indicate
what items were included in this number
Contraband is defined as any item that is (a) not approved for
possession by an inmate or for admission into the institution,
and/or (b) presents a threat to security or its condition or
excessive quantities of it present a health, fire, or housekeeping hazard.
Contraband recoveries include any incident where staff found
or recovered contraband items, regardless of whether an inmate was disciplined for the infraction or not. Please count
each type of contraband recovered as a single recovery. For
example, if a weapon and cell phone were recovered during
the same cell search, mark this as two recoveries. But, if two
cell phones were recovered, mark this as one recovery. If your
agency calculates or defines “recoveries” differently, please
include the total number of recoveries as they are recorded in
your system and fill out sub-question A below.

10.

Controlled substances — illegal narcotics and
unauthorized prescription medications, such
as cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, methadone,
suboxone, marijuana, etc.
Tobacco
Alcohol — alcohol from outside the facility and
alcohol made inside the facility such as hooch,
pruno, prison wine, etc.
Weapons — explosives, ammunitions, chemical compounds, shivs, shanks, zipguns, etc.
Cell phones
Cash or other moneys — checks, credit cards,
debit cards , etc.
Property with gang identifiers — gang signs,
symbols, language, or information
Modified or altered property — not including
weapons
Excessive property — food or commissary
items, pictures, etc.
Other: specify __________________________________
___________________________________________________

18. Please report the number of recoveries between January 1, 2017, and December 31,
2017, for each type of contraband.
A.

Controlled substances

______________

B.
C.
D.

Tobacco
Alcohol
Weapons

______________
______________
______________



 If different than the above, how many total
weapons were seized in 2017? ____________ 

F.
G.
H.
I.
Provide any additional detail on how recoveries are J.
calculated (optional):_________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Cell phones

______________

If different than the above, how many total cell
phones were seized in 2017? ____________ 
Cash or other moneys
______________ 
Property with gang identifiers
______________
Modified or altered property
______________
Excessive property
______________
Other: specify ________________________________________
________________________________________________________
______________ 

State Prison Form

Section
V—Contraband
Incidents
Section
V—Contraband
Incidents
19. Please report the number of contrabandrelated injuries between January 1, 2017, and
December 31, 2017.
A.
B.



Number of contraband-related visitor arrests
____________________ 
Number of contraband-related visitor violations
____________________ 

Number of inmate-on-staff assaults with weapons
B.
____________________ 
Number of inmate-on-inmate assaults with weapons
____________________ 
Number of inmate hospitalizations or other medical Section VI— Contraband
Section VI—Contraband Interdiction
interventions for drug overdoses
____________________ 
23. Which of the following does this facility use on
security staff for detecting/confiscating/
Number of inmate hospitalizations or other medical
interventions for weapons-related injuries
removing contraband?
____________________ 
Select all that apply.

20. Please report the number of punitive actions
taken against inmates for contraband-related
infractions between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017.
A.

22. Please report the number of punitive actions
taken against visitors for contraband-related
violations between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017.

Number of contraband-related infractions that resulted in new charges
____________________ 

B. Number of contraband-related infractions that resulted in placement in restricted housing
____________________ 
C. Number of contraband-related infractions that resulted in disciplinary reports
____________________ 


21. Please report the number of punitive actions
taken against staff for contraband-related violations between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017.

01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Walk-through metal detector
X-Ray conveyor /x-ray inspection system
Whole-body scanner/wave scanner
Regular pat search
Random pat search
Random drug test
Statewide contraband interdiction team
Contraband interdiction team at facility
K-9 unit for contraband detection
Surveillance cameras
Mass spectrometry/hand swabs
Staff-initiated investigation and intelligence
None

14.

Other: specify __________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Number of contraband-related staff arrests
____________________
B. Number of contraband-related staff terminations
____________________ 
C. Number of contraband-related staff suspensions
____________________ 
D. Total number of contraband-related staff violations
____________________ 







21

State Prison Form

24. Which of the following does this facility use on 26. Which of the following does this facility use on
non-security staff (including medical personinmates for detecting/confiscating/removing
nel, service providers, program staff, etc.) for
contraband?
detecting/confiscating/removing contraband?
Select all that apply.
Select all that apply.

01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09.
10.
11.
12.
13.

14.

Other: specify __________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

25. Which of the following does this facility use on
visitors for detecting/confiscating/removing
contraband?
Select all that apply.

01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.

Walk-through metal detector
X-Ray conveyor /x-ray inspection system
Whole-body scanner/wave scanner
Regular pat search
Random pat search
Regular strip search
Random strip search
Random drug test
Statewide contraband interdiction team
Contraband interdiction team at facility
K-9 unit for contraband detection
Surveillance cameras
Mass spectrometry/hand swabs
Cell shake downs/searches
Staff-initiated investigation and intelligence
BOSS (Body Orifice Scanning System) chairs
Other: specify __________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

27. Which of the following does this facility use for
detecting/confiscating/removing cell phones?
Select all that apply.

01.

02.

03.
04.

11.
12.

Generic metal detecting technologies or specialized/enhanced metal detectors that are
specifically designed to detect cell phones and
other types of correctional contraband
Cell phone specific detection technologies
(devices used for locating, tracking, and identifying various sources of radio transmissions)
Cell phone detection canine teams (e.g., canine
teams trained to sniff out cell phones)
Cell phone access management systems
(systems that intercept calls in order to prevent inmates from accessing carrier networks)
None
Other: specify __________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

State Prison Form

28. Which of the following best describes the
inmate visitation policy in this facility?

29. Which of the following describe the inmate
legal mail policy in this facility?

Contact visits (options 1 and 2) include visits where the inmate and visitor are allowed to hold hands with and/or hug
their visitors for an extended period of time or at multiple
times during the visit .
Note: If visits are in-person (e.g., inmates and visitors sit at a
table together without a glass barrier between them) but
inmates are not allowed to touch their visitors, or are allowed
only a quick hug/kiss at the beginning or end of the visit,
please select option 3.
Select all that apply.

01.

02.

03.

04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09.
10.
11.
12.
13.

All inmates are allowed contact visits (with the
exception of inmates placed in restrictive
housing for punitive purposes)
Some inmates, such as those in a special program (e.g., a family strengthening program),
are allowed contact visits
Inmates are allowed in-person visits without
contact (a visit without a glass barrier, but
where inmates are not allowed to have contact
with their visitors)
Inmates are allowed visits through a barrier
(e.g., a glass wall)
Inmates are allowed video visitation
Drug sniffing dogs are kept in the visiting room
or are available upon request
Visitors must complete a background check
Visitors with any criminal history are denied
access
Visitors who were previously incarcerated are
denied access
All visitors are subject to mass spectrometry/
hand swabs
Some visitors are subject to mass spectrometry/hand swabs
Visiting rooms are under video surveillance
Other: specify __________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Legal mail includes correspondence relating to an open or
closed legal case, including letters from lawyers, judges, probation or parole officers, or parole board.
Select all that apply.

01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.

Staff open and search all inmate legal mail
Staff open and search some inmate legal mail
based on intelligence
Staff open and search inmate legal mail at random
Staff only provide photocopies of original legal
mail to inmates
Staff use mass spectrometry on all legal mail
Staff use mass spectrometry on some legal
mail based on intelligence
Staff use mass spectrometry on legal mail at
random
Other: specify __________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

30. Which of the following describe the inmate
social mail policy in this facility?
Social mail includes any correspondence not relating to an
open or closed legal case, including letters from friends, family, clergy members, etc.

Select all that apply.

01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.

Staff open and search all inmate social mail
Staff open and search some inmate social mail
based on intelligence
Staff open and search inmate social mail at
random
Staff only provide photocopies of original social mail to inmates
Staff use mass spectrometry on all social mail
Staff use mass spectrometry on some social
mail based on intelligence
Staff use mass spectrometry on social mail at
random
Other: specify __________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

State Prison Form

Section
VII—
Contraband Entry
Section
VII—Contraband
Entry

dormitories. Normal entry and exit are under visual
surveillance.

31. Between January 1, 2017 and December 31,
2017, how much of a problem were the following entry points for contraband that was
brought into the facility from the outside?

Administrative—facilities charged with special
missions, such as treating or housing geriatric
inmates or those with serious medical issues. In
some states, reception, classification, diagnostic, or
transfer centers may be administrative facilities.

Contraband entry points are the means by which contraband
that originated outside the facility is brought into the facility.
Not a
problem

Somewhat of
A big
a problem
problem

Inmates returning from
work-release, medical
appointments, court
visits, transfers, etc.



Security staff



Non-security staff



Volunteers



Vendors/contractors



Visitors



Letters and packages



Items being thrown over
the facility’s perimeter
or flown over by drone



Design capacity—the number of inmates that
planners or architects intended for this facility.

Rated capacity—the maximum number of beds or
inmates authorized by a rating official for safe and
efficient operation. It may exceed design capacity
due to double bunking. However, beds in an area
not designed as sleeping space, such as day rooms
and multipurpose, should not be included in rated
capacity.

Security staff—correctional officers of all ranks and
other uniformed staff who, regardless of their staff
title, are in direct contact with inmates, and
involved in their daily custody, care, supervision or
monitoring. Includes correctional officers, line staff,
and supervisors.

Other/non-security staff—all non-uniformed and
civilian employees who work inside the correctional
facility, such as treatment staff, educational staff,
clerical staff, maintenance staff, medical personnel,
and other professional and technical staff.

Contraband—any item that is (a) not approved for
possession by an inmate or for admission into the
institution, and/or (b) presents a threat to security
or its condition or excessive quantities of it present
a health, fire, or housekeeping hazard.

Contraband recoveries—any incident where staff
found or recovered contraband items, regardless of
whether an inmate was disciplined for the
infraction or not.

Assault—is an attack that results in physical injury
ranging from minor bruises or cuts needing no firstaid to death or serious harm requiring immediate
hospitalization. Inmate-on-inmate assaults are
perpetrated by inmates against other inmates,
while inmate-on-staff assaults are perpetrated by
inmates against any staff member.

Contact visits— visits where the inmate and visitor
are allowed to hold hands with and/or hug their
visitors for an extended period of time or at
multiple times during the visit.

Definitions
1.

Facility security level—Super maximum—in addition
to the characteristics of a maximum/close/high
security facility (described below), “supermax”
facilities are stand-alone units and are designated
for violent or disruptive inmates. They typically
involve placing inmates in singlecell confinement
up to 23-hour per day for an indefinite period of
time. Inmates in supermax housing have minimal
contact with staff and other inmates.
Maximum/close/high—is characterized by walls or
double-fence perimeters, armed towers and/or
armed patrols. Cell housing is isolated in one of two
ways: within a cell block so that a prisoner escaping
from a cell is confined within the building; or by
double security from the perimeter by bars, steel
doors, or other hardware. All entry or exit is via trap
gate or sally port.
Medium—is characterized by a single or double
fenced perimeter with armed coverage by towers
or patrols. Housing units are cells, rooms, or
dormitories. Dormitories are living units designed
or modified to accommodate 12 or more persons.
All entry or exit is via trap gate or sally port.
Minimum/low—is characterized by a fenced or
"posted" perimeter. Cell housing units are rooms or

10. Legal mail—correspondence relating to an open or
closed legal case, including letters from lawyers,
judges, probation or parole officers, or parole board.
11. Social mail—any correspondence not relating to an
open or closed legal case, including letters from
friends, family, clergy members, etc.

File Type	application/pdf
File Modified	2018-06-27
File Created	2018-02-19