Corrections_Today_Spring_2025_Vol.87_No.1

STANDARDS & ACCREDITATION

Blue-Ribbon Committee Inmate transportation By David Haasenritter

correctional officers, police officers, civilians or inmates. Yet in this one area of the cor rectional and law enforcement business there are limited expected practices. Responding to the challenge of transportation Responding to the challenge, at the 154 th Congress of Correction in Nashville, Tennessee during a meeting of the Performance-Based Standards Committee, ACA Presi dent Denise Robinson announced the establishment of a Blue-Ribbon Committee to quickly develop inmate transportation expected practices. The Performance-Based Stan dards Committee was buzzing with excitement. Inmate transportation has been a topic amongst correc tional leaders in the field and ACA leadership for some time. Various correctional leaders on the Perfor mance-Based Standards Committee and those in the audience acknowl edged the need for such expected practices. Members believed this was badly needed and a long time in coming. The committee was tasked to re view current policies and practices,

Adobe Stock/ABCDstock; Ribbon: Adobe Stock/pixelrobot

T ransportation of inmates is one of the most dangerous tasks corrections and law enforcement officers perform. Everyday thousands of inmates are transported to various locations such as hospitals, courts and other facilities during all times of the day in cars, vans, buses, planes and helicopters. Transport is handled by deputy sheriff’s, facility correctional officers, agency correctional officers,

the U.S. Marshals Service and pri vate transportation companies. Transport may be required for one inmate to thousands of inmates at a time. Regardless of why and how many, transporting inmates can be high risk and dangerous. Most inmate transports are accomplished without incident. However, notable incidents have occurred resulting in escapes and in some cases the injuring or killing of

Corrections Today | Spring 2025

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