Shannon W Unit 21: Custodial Care Services P4
Task 4 (P4)
In this report I am going to be explaining the process of receiving and discharging individuals and
their property both into and from the custodial environment. The first part of the process is when
prisons receive individuals from court. Private companies such as G4S and GEOAmy are responsible
for transporting prisoners to and from court. When they arrive at the prison, prison staff must be
able to confirm the identity of the individual and record some essential informaion at the first
reception. This usually consists of completeing their personal documentation and documentation
from the court. A few examples of essential information which they need to gather are their name,
current address, next of kin, date of birth, telephone number, finger prints and a photograph of the
individual Other information they would like to gather from the individual upon arrival is their
nationality, religion and any previous convictions so they can be recorded as well. Prison officers also
need to idenfify vulnerable prisoners such as the individuals who are potentially at risk of self-
harming or suicide, or generally because they are a first time prisoner so they can put them in a
single cell for saftey and security reasons.
After gathering and recording the essential information, prison officers wil then procede to searching
the individual and the property that they currently have on them. A prison officer will begin by
conducting a rub down search in the reception. They will then have a full rub down search which
takes place in a more private place by two prison officers which are the same gender as the
individual to ensure they don’t have any items or contreband on them. The individuals property will
also be searched.
After the search is completed, the individual will be take to a holding cell where they will be
questioned further and they will be taken to meet with the medical staff who work within the prison
reception and they will conduct a health check and risk assessments; they are there to deal with any
immidiate issues upon arrival and not any further problems when they are placed on the wing. The
medical staff will find out if they impose any risks either to themselves, other prisoners, staff or the
public. They will also conduct a few risk assessments which involves a cell sharing risk-assessment, a
medical risk assesment and a suicide/self-harm screening.
The next step is the induction process which every prisoner is required to go through at least once,
whether they are new to custody, new to a prison, they are serving an intermittent custody sentnce
or indivials who have changed their status. The introduction process includes placing the prisoner
on the wing, covering their rights as a prisoner and learning the prison regime which can include
knowing the times for meals, worshiping, using bathroom facilities and getting exersise. The
induction process also helps encourage prisoners take a more constructive approach during their
time in custody. The majoirty of prisons have an induction pack which is given to prisoners during
their induction process and this can come in a variety of different languages so everyone can read it.
It can also be explained to an individual by other prisoners, a personal officer or even by watching a
video if they don’t understand it. Extra information the induction pack can also include details about
laurdary, hygiene, equal oppertunities, the library, standards of behaviour and infromation about
spending money in the canteen or prison shop.
Once the prison has finished the receiving of individuals process, the next step is property
procedures. To begin with, all items of property which is in a prisoners possession upon arrival at
prison will be logged on their own property card. Any restricted items the individual has on them will
be removed from them and placed in a sealed plastic bag and these items will be returned once
they are released. A prison officer will also ask the individual to sign a form, also known as a property
card, when they first arrive at prison. This is evidence to say that they have seen what items the
Task 4 (P4)
In this report I am going to be explaining the process of receiving and discharging individuals and
their property both into and from the custodial environment. The first part of the process is when
prisons receive individuals from court. Private companies such as G4S and GEOAmy are responsible
for transporting prisoners to and from court. When they arrive at the prison, prison staff must be
able to confirm the identity of the individual and record some essential informaion at the first
reception. This usually consists of completeing their personal documentation and documentation
from the court. A few examples of essential information which they need to gather are their name,
current address, next of kin, date of birth, telephone number, finger prints and a photograph of the
individual Other information they would like to gather from the individual upon arrival is their
nationality, religion and any previous convictions so they can be recorded as well. Prison officers also
need to idenfify vulnerable prisoners such as the individuals who are potentially at risk of self-
harming or suicide, or generally because they are a first time prisoner so they can put them in a
single cell for saftey and security reasons.
After gathering and recording the essential information, prison officers wil then procede to searching
the individual and the property that they currently have on them. A prison officer will begin by
conducting a rub down search in the reception. They will then have a full rub down search which
takes place in a more private place by two prison officers which are the same gender as the
individual to ensure they don’t have any items or contreband on them. The individuals property will
also be searched.
After the search is completed, the individual will be take to a holding cell where they will be
questioned further and they will be taken to meet with the medical staff who work within the prison
reception and they will conduct a health check and risk assessments; they are there to deal with any
immidiate issues upon arrival and not any further problems when they are placed on the wing. The
medical staff will find out if they impose any risks either to themselves, other prisoners, staff or the
public. They will also conduct a few risk assessments which involves a cell sharing risk-assessment, a
medical risk assesment and a suicide/self-harm screening.
The next step is the induction process which every prisoner is required to go through at least once,
whether they are new to custody, new to a prison, they are serving an intermittent custody sentnce
or indivials who have changed their status. The introduction process includes placing the prisoner
on the wing, covering their rights as a prisoner and learning the prison regime which can include
knowing the times for meals, worshiping, using bathroom facilities and getting exersise. The
induction process also helps encourage prisoners take a more constructive approach during their
time in custody. The majoirty of prisons have an induction pack which is given to prisoners during
their induction process and this can come in a variety of different languages so everyone can read it.
It can also be explained to an individual by other prisoners, a personal officer or even by watching a
video if they don’t understand it. Extra information the induction pack can also include details about
laurdary, hygiene, equal oppertunities, the library, standards of behaviour and infromation about
spending money in the canteen or prison shop.
Once the prison has finished the receiving of individuals process, the next step is property
procedures. To begin with, all items of property which is in a prisoners possession upon arrival at
prison will be logged on their own property card. Any restricted items the individual has on them will
be removed from them and placed in a sealed plastic bag and these items will be returned once
they are released. A prison officer will also ask the individual to sign a form, also known as a property
card, when they first arrive at prison. This is evidence to say that they have seen what items the
