Report 2016-131 Recommendation 9 Responses

Report 2016-131: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: It Must Increase Its Efforts to Prevent and Respond to Inmate Suicides (Release Date: August 2017)

Recommendation #9 To: Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of

To ensure that prison staff appropriately respond to attempted suicides, Corrections should implement its proposed changes to its emergency response policies regarding cut-down kits by December 2017 and should include in its policies a method for monitoring prisons' compliance.

1-Year Agency Response

The memorandum titled "Response to Suicide Attempts by Hanging or Asphyxiation, Introduction of the Replacement Cut-Down Tool, and Standardization of the Cut-Down Kit" was distributed to all institutions in January 2018. Institutions implemented the updates within the 60-day time frame and the replacement cut-down tools have been distributed.

The CQIT contains an audit question designed to monitor the prisons' compliance regarding the cut-down kits.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

6-Month Agency Response

DAI and the Statewide Mental Health Program drafted a memorandum titled "Response to Suicide Attempts by Hanging or Asphyxiation, Introduction of the Replacement Cut-Down Tool, and Standardization of the Cut-Down Kit." The memo along with a negotiation prep tool was submitted to the Office of Labor Relations on September 15, 2017. The replacement cut-down tools have been distributed. The CQIT contains an audit question designed to monitor the prisons' compliance regarding the cut-down kits.

The memo was distributed January 2018. Institutions have 60 days to implement.

See attached documentation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

The Division of Adult Institutions and Statewide Mental Health have drafted a memorandum titled "Response to Suicide Attempts by Hanging or Asphyxiation, Introduction of the Replacement Cut-Down Tool, and Standardization of the Cut-Down Kit." The memo along with a negotiation prep tool was submitted to the Office of Labor Relations on September 15, 2017, with the implementation date of December 1, 2017. Statewide Mental Health has already purchased the replacement cut-down tools and the CQIT already contains an audit question designed to monitor the prisons' compliance regarding the cut-down kits.

See attached memorandum.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2016-131

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.