The March 11th tragedy in Atlanta gives us an opportunity to share best practices in the transportation and security of inmates in court rooms and also in all public areas like Hospitals, Doctors Offices and Funeral Homes.

The AIDS dictum of always taking universal precautions holds true. Treat all inmates, detainees and defendants the same way......with respect. Dignity and extreme caution, all are potentially dangerous.

Inmates should never be moved to or in a court setting with one officer. A minimum of two officers should be present, for the protection of the community and the officers.

The correction officer who has the responsibility for physical contact with the inmate.............SHOULD NEVER BE ARMED.  The second officer provides security for the prime escort.

Video backup, is just that, BACKUP, it should never take the place of the second officer.

Utilize state of the art cuffs, leg irons and security devices.

Inmates with a demonstrated security violation should also be covered by an experienced supervisor. The number of staff assigned should be detirmined by the judged risk.

Court Clothing should be placed on the inmate in the secure holding facility....not the court house.

Escort Officers should have access to the inmates discipline record and should carry a copy of the detaining order, finger prints and mug shots. Polaroid pictures should also be taken in the civilian cloths. Immediately before leaving the detention center.

There is no substitute for a high level of training for transportation /court officers.
Supervision is also key..........regular checking by a knowledgeable, experienced supervisor will prevent bad situations from occurring. This includes professional conversation with the other court officers and the JUDGE.

Short cuts dues to staffing problems....should never are tolerated...they can be deadly. The inmate is not always the main problem. Be aware that victim families and at times friends of the inmate can cause serious problems.
 The best escort Officers tend to be Jail or Prison Officers because they understand the inmate psychology.