Chapter 1 – General Administration

The Chief of the Office of Correctional Safety (OCSOffice of Correctional Safety) reports to the Undersecretary of Operations. The OCSOffice of Correctional Safety supports the mission of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation).

The OCSOffice of Correctional Safety mission is to protect the public and serve the CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation investigative and security interests.

The OCSOffice of Correctional Safety is the primary departmental link with allied law enforcement agencies and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

The OCSOffice of Correctional Safety is comprised of seven sub-units:

• The Special Service Unit serves as the primary law enforcement liaison unit and is the department’s primary gang management unit. Peace Officers assigned to the unit conduct major criminal investigations, are responsible for criminal apprehension efforts of CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation escapees and supervised persons wanted for serious or violent felonies, and conduct complex gang related investigations of incarcerated and supervised persons suspected of criminal gang activity. The Special Service Unit also serves as a repository for intelligence information concerning gang affiliates and facilitates departmental oversight of all CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation validation and debriefing processes.

• The Fugitive Apprehension Team investigates, locates and arrests supervised persons who abscond parole supervision and are either suspected of serious or violent crimes, as denoted in Penal Code (PCPenal Code) sections 667.5 and 1192.7; or a High Risk Sex Offender; or identified as a High Notoriety and a Public Interest Case by the Division of Adult Parole Operations; or subject to new felony warrants.

• The Emergency Operations Unit oversees special departmental operations such as special transports; hostage rescue; riot suppression, firearms, less-than-lethal weapons, and armories; critical incident response; and protective vests.

• The Emergency Planning and Management Unit coordinates the department’s comprehensive approach to emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts for significant incidents and disasters that impact correctional safety and continuity of operations.

• The Specialized Technology and Investigations unit conducts complex investigations leveraging existing and emerging technology to support the security and investigative interests of the department. Peace Officers assigned to the unit serve as subject matter experts in various fields and assist correctional and law enforcement agencies in detecting, preventing, and solving crimes that have a nexus to CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

• The Criminal Intelligence and Analysis Unit obtains and evaluates information regarding criminal suspects and criminal enterprise organizations with a nexus to CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to identify threats, support investigations, and guide leadership decisions.

• The Investigative Training Unit conducts and monitors statewide investigative training needs and procurement compliance with Peace Officer Standards and Training; and ensures the department’s policies and CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation training mandates are met.

The Chief, Office of Correctional Safety or designee is responsible to ensure that the content of this Article is kept current and accurate.