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Managing High-Profile Inmates in a Jail Setting

NCJ Number
223019
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 68 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2006 Pages: 28-31,41
Author(s)
Gregg W. Etter Sr.; Robert L. Hinshaw
Date Published
February 2008
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article reports on the experiences of the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office (Wichita, KS) in its handling of three "high-profile" inmates: Terry Nichols, who was involved in the Oklahoma City bombing of the Murrah Federal Building; Jonathan and Reginald Carr, the brothers who committed a crime spree in Sedgwick County; and Dennis Rader, the BTK serial killer.
Abstract
The general advice offered in the article based on experiences with these high-profile inmates is to review policies with staff in order to refresh and reinforce routine inmate management practices as well as any distinctive strategies for managing high-profile inmates. Professionalism and objectivity should be emphasized, and staff should be informed of any court orders or special conditions of confinement required. Unique security issues should be identified and plans developed for dealing with them. Heightened media inquiries should be expected and a plan for handling various media-related scenarios likely to occur should be developed. Good lines of communication should be maintained among all stakeholders involved in the case. This is especially important during pretrial detention. For each of the high-profile inmates, this article provides information on the period under the custody and detention of the Sheriff's Office, special conditions of confinement, behavior in the facility, court orders, internal/external threats, and transport.