26. The DPD shall ensure the appropriate identification of and response to prisoner’s medical and/or mental health conditions.
27. The DPD shall develop a comprehensive medical and mental health
screening program that shall be approved in writing by qualified
medical and mental health professionals. This program shall be
submitted for review and approval of the DOJ within three months of the
effective date of this
Agreement. The DPD shall implement the program within three months of
DOJ’s review and approval. Thereafter, the program shall be reviewed
and approved in writing by qualified medical and mental health
professionals at least every year and prior to any revisions to the
program. At a minimum, the comprehensive medical and mental health
screening program shall include prisoner screening procedures and
medical protocols.
28. The prisoner screening procedure, at a minimum, shall:
a. enable the DPD to identify individuals with medical or mental health
conditions, including infectious diseases, chronic conditions,
disabilities, ambulatory impairments, mental health conditions, and
drug/alcohol
withdrawal;
b. identify persons who are at risk of committing suicide, persons who
have been on heightened observation for suicide risk at any time during
a past incarceration and persons who have any medical contraindications
for the use of chemical sprays;
c. require that the DPD follow a standard intake procedure for each individual entering DPD custody;
d. require that intake screening be conducted within two hours of
intake and through a verbal exchange between the DPD and prisoners; and
e. incorporate all health information pertaining to a prisoner acquired by the arresting or transporting officers.
29. The medical protocols, at a minimum, shall:
a. identify the specific actions the DPD shall take in response to the
medical information acquired during prisoner screening or detention,
including the need for emergency care, hospitalization, prescription
medication and/or intensive monitoring; and
b. require prior supervisory review and written approval, absent
exigent circumstances, of all decisions made in response to acquired
medical information.
30. The DPD shall develop and implement a policy regarding infectious
disease control in consultation with medical health professionals. The
policy shall be reviewed and approved in writing by qualified medical
health professionals at least every year after implementation and prior
to any revisions to the policy. At a minimum, the policy shall:
a. establish appropriate housing for prisoners believed to have infectious diseases; and
b. .mandate measures the DPD shall take to prevent the spread of
infectious diseases, including proper handling and disposal of
bio-hazardous material.
31. The DPD shall develop and implement a protocol for updating and
exchanging prisoner health information. At a minimum, this protocol
shall:
a. require that prisoner health information is recorded at intake and
is thereafter immediately and readily available to all relevant medical
and transporting personnel in a manner consistent with the relevant
federal and state confidentiality statutes;
b. require that prisoner health information is continually updated to
incorporate any additional relevant information acquired during his/her
detention;
c. require that relevant prisoner health information is documented and
communicated between consecutive shifts, such as whether a prisoner is
taking medication or has a medical condition; and
d. require that prisoner health information travel with prisoners who are transferred to another facility.
32. The DPD shall develop a prescription medication policy in
consultation with qualified medical and mental health professionals
that ensures prisoners are provided prescription medication as
directed. The policy shall be approved in writing by qualified medical
and mental health professionals and shall be submitted for review and
approval of the DOJ within three months of the effective date of this
Agreement. The DPD shall implement the policy within three months of
the DOJ’s review and approval. Thereafter, the policy shall be reviewed
and approved in writing by qualified medical and mental health
professionals at least annually and prior to any revisions to the
program. At a minimum, the policy shall:
a. indicate when the DPD shall convey prisoners taking prescription
medication to the DRH or other treating hospital for evaluation;
b. require the DPD distribute to prisoners only medications that have been prescribed at the DRH or other treating hospitals;
c. require that the DPD distribute medications as prescribed and not rely on inmates to identify their need for medication;
d. require that all prisoner medications be stored in a secure location
near the holding cells and travel with prisoners that are transferred;
e. require the DPD to record relevant information regarding the
administration of prescription medication on an auditable form;
f. require that injected medications are administered as prescribed and in a safe and hygienic manner; and
g. require that unused medications prescribed at the DRH or other
treating hospitals are provided to prisoners upon their release.
33. The DPD shall provide appropriate clothing, such as paper gowns or
suicide smocks, to all prisoners placed under suicide precautions.
34. The DPD shall remove or make inaccessible all suicide hazards in
holding cells including exposed pipes, radiators and overhead bars.