Health Care Department Operations Manual

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Chapter 2 – Patients’ Entitlements and Responsibilities

Article 1 – Provision of Health Care Services

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2.1.4 Reading Glasses

  • Policy

    • California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) shall provide and distribute approved reading glasses through the canteen services system process without cost to the patient or a need for a health care provider’s prescription.

  • Responsibility

    • The Chief Executive Officer (health care), Warden, and Regional Health Care Executives, or designees, are responsible for implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of this policy and procedure.

  • Procedure

    • Product Procurement, Logistics, Replenishment, and Issuance

      • Designated health care staff, in coordination with Prison Canteen Managers (PCMs), shall ensure reading glasses are ordered through California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) for distribution within the canteen.

      • PCMs shall ensure an adequate stock of reading glasses is available for distribution based on the maximum quantity guidelines established in California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 15, Authorized Personal Property Schedule.

      • Patients shall access reading glasses as a function of normal programming.

      • The canteen managers shall ensure that a sign, which is provided by CALPIA is installed next to the canteen to allow patients to self-identify which strength they need.

      • Patients in the Reception Center (RC) shall have access to reading glasses through the canteen within 30 calendar days of arrival.

        • Licensed health care staff shall provide patient education regarding reading glasses within the RCs during the initial health screening.

      • If a program modification or lockdown is in effect, access to and distribution of reading glasses shall be limited in the same manner as established for canteen services, per the CDCR 3022-A, B, C, D, and/or E, Daily Progress Status Report, for that institution.

      • If a patient loses canteen privileges as the result of a disciplinary hearing, the patient will not be excluded from obtaining reading glasses. Each institution shall modify their local canteen operation plan to address how patients with a loss of canteen privileges will be provided access to reading glasses through the canteen.

      • All patients shall be allowed to acquire one pair of reading glasses every 12 months free of charge through the normal canteen process by utilizing the standard canteen pick list which shall be made readily available to all patients in all housing areas. A replacement pair of reading glasses shall be provided if loss or damage was not the fault of the patient.

      • Patients unable to receive their reading glasses during their first canteen draw shall be allowed to receive their reading glasses during open line of the current month. A newly arrived patient may, within 30 calendar days of arrival, request a canteen draw at the discretion of the institution.

      • Patients in restricted housing units (e.g., Administrative Segregation Unit, Psychiatric Services Unit, and Security Housing Unit) shall have access to reading glasses as a function of canteen programming in those units.

    • Custodial Security, Controls, and Safety Considerations

      • Proper enforcement of the maximum possession limitations, including confiscation of any reading glasses in excess of the maximum possession limitation, shall be enforced via custody cell searches.

        • Reading glasses shall be considered a portion of each patient’s personal property and shall not be exempted from the property volume restrictions as specified in California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Authorized Personal Property Schedule. Reading glasses shall be handled/packed as with all other personal property.

        • Custody staff shall not confiscate reading glasses within the allowable limitations without a legitimate custodial safety and security concern which shall be documented on a CDC 115, Rules Violation Report.

      • No blanket restriction is to be placed on any portion of the patient population based on nationality, ethnicity, Security Threat Group membership or affiliation, or other overarching considerations. Restriction of access to reading glasses shall be on an individual, case-by-case basis only.

      • The placement and removal of restrictions for any patient’s access to reading glasses shall be accomplished via written communication with the institution’s Trust Office.

        • The Trust Office shall provide a current list of all patients with reading glasses restrictions upon request by a custody supervisor (e.g., Correctional Sergeant or Correctional Lieutenant). The list shall include the reading glasses restricted for each patient for the purposes of conducting custody cell and property searches to enforce any restrictions in place.

        • Patients may be restricted from access to reading glasses on the basis of a documented health care concern and a documented custody (i.e., safety and security) concern.

        • If a licensed health care clinician determines that a specific patient does not possess the ability to utilize reading glasses responsibly and safely, the patient shall be restricted from access to any reading glasses deemed unsafe in their professional opinion.

          • These restrictions shall be documented in the health record, on a CDCR 128B, General Chrono, and routed to the Trust Office to enter into the Trust Restitution Accounting and Canteen System (TRACS).

          • Restoration of access to the restricted reading glasses shall be made by a licensed health care clinician as the result of a documented assessment of the patient. Optimally, this assessment shall include consultation with the clinician who originally established the restrictions.

        • If custody places a restriction for safety and security reasons it must be supported by a guilty finding in a disciplinary hearing for a serious rule violation involving the misuse of reading glasses.

          • The disposition of the rule violation shall include a CDCR 128B identifying the reading glasses to be restricted and routed to the institution’s Trust Office to enter into TRACS.

          • Restoration of access to reading glasses restricted for safety and security reasons shall be initiated by the written recommendation of a custody supervisor (e.g., Correctional Sergeant or Correctional Lieutenant) and requires review and approval by the facility captain.

    • Tracking Data

      • The PCM shall access data from TRACS related to reading glasses inventory levels and distribution information as needed. The Inmate Accounting, Sacramento Accounting Services Branch, Office of Fiscal Services’ designee, shall utilize the data from TRACS and provide a report of product distribution indicating the total of each product distributed within the previous month or 30-calendar day canteen period for each institution’s records.

  • References

    • California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Division 3, Chapter 1, Subchapter 2, Article 1, Section 3090-3095

    • California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Division 3, Chapter 1, Subchapter 2, Article 9, Section 3190

    • California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Division 3, Chapter 1, Subchapter 4, Article 5, Sections 3314 and 3315

    • California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department Operations Manual, Chapter 5, Article 43, Section 54030

    • California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department Operations Manual, Chapter 5, Article 50, Section 54070

  • Revision History

    • Effective: 04/2020
      Revised: 01/2021