Chapter 10 – Adult Programs

Each Warden shall provide a recreation and physical education program that will maximize inmate participation under conditions that are safe and secure.  Inmates may be afforded an opportunity to engage in a variety of activities consistent with their custody classification, privilege groups, security requirements, health status, and any documented or demonstrated special need.

Recreation and physical education programs are founded on six broad goals providing inmates opportunities for achievement through participation in a range of programs that promote the following:

• Physical activity.

• Physical fitness and wellness.

• Movement skills and movement knowledge.

• Social development and interaction.

• Self-image and self-realization.

• Individual excellence.

This Article provides staff responsibilities and criteria for the administration of adult institution and facility recreation and physical education programs.

The Principal shall provide overall supervision and coordination of recreation and physical education activities at their respective institutions and facilities. The Principal shall:

• Coordinate all recreation and physical education activities.

• Supervise the selection, assignment, and training of inmate clerks and recreation assistant aides.

• Evaluate and utilize community resources.

• Maintain appropriate records of activities, inventories, and student participation and attendance.

• Ensure the security and control of the areas and scheduled activities.

• Maintain effective control and utilization of equipment.

Arts-in-Corrections

• The Arts-in-Corrections program provides inmate activity groups administered by the California Arts Council (CACCommission on Accreditation for Corrections) via an interagency agreement with CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Rehabilitative Programs (DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs).  The CACCommission on Accreditation for Corrections Staff Services Manager I and Associate Governmental Program Analyst provide overall supervision for the institutional Artist Facilitators or Lead Artists who are the designated program contacts.  The Artist Facilitators and Lead Artists are under the supervision of the Community Resource Manager (CRMCommunity Resource Manager) at each institution.

Art activities may consist of, but are not limited to, the following artistic disciplines:

• Folk & Traditional Arts.

• Literary Arts.

• Media Arts.

• Multidisciplinary Arts.

• Performing Arts.

• Visual Arts.

• Handicraft Program.

Administrative oversight of each institution’s handicraft program is the responsibility of the Correctional Administrator, Business Services. Direct supervision of the program is delegated to an institutional handicraft manager.

Inmate participation in recreational activities shall be voluntary, non-credit, accomplished during non-assignment hours, and be dependent on privilege level.  Activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Audiovisual programs.

• Individual sports, such as track and field, jogging, and gymnastics.

• Dual sports, such as handball, horseshoes, table tennis, badminton, and shuffleboard.

• Team sports, such as baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, touch football, and volleyball.

• Social games, such as checkers, puzzles, dominoes, chess, and card games.

Precaution shall be taken to prevent injury during recreational activities.  Activities involving unusual danger or risk shall not be permitted.

Gymnasium, field, and yard schedules shall be established to provide reasonable access for all eligible inmates.  Recreational activities may be available seven days per week.

The Warden may approve special events which feature visual and performing arts activities.

Intramural sports may be offered for all eligible general population inmates.

Each institution shall establish guidelines to discourage inappropriate domination by any one inmate group.  A designated staff person shall select and assemble individual teams.

Intramural sports may include handball, racquetball, basketball, softball, horseshoes, and similar group sports.

Table game leagues and tournaments may be organized institutionally.  All eligible inmates may participate in such tournaments.

Tournaments may be organized institutionally.  The variety of competitive activities shall be rotated according to different interests, skills, and cultural considerations.

Announcements of upcoming special events shall be posted in designated areas accessible to all eligible inmates.

Awards and certificates of participation or accomplishment may be purchased with Inmate Welfare Fund monies and offered as awards to inmates participating in tournament activities.

Approved awards shall be delivered to the recipient inmate as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days following approval by the activity or contest coordinator.

Refer to Department Operations Manual chapter 10, article 5.

Musical activities are encouraged in those institutions with the appropriate facilities and equipment.

Under the supervision of designated staff, inmates may schedule practice sessions in designated areas.

Entertainment movies may be selected and scheduled for viewing, in advance, on a quarterly basis.  This schedule shall be submitted through the established chain of command for approval by the institution head or their designee prior to the beginning of each quarter, and the approved schedule shall constitute the institutional discretionary viewing list.

Only entertainment movies with a Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rating of General Audiences (G), Parental Guidance Suggested (PG), or Parents Strongly Cautioned (PG-13) may be considered for general viewing by the inmate population.  Entertainment movies with Edited Down (R-ED) rating may be viewed in accordance with the provisions of this section.

An entertainment movie not originally rated G, PG, or PG-13, but through editing has been “reduced” to the content equivalent of a G, PG, PG-13, or R-ED rating shall not require previewing.

All suitability issues shall be determined by the Warden.  Entertainment movies identified as “unacceptable” shall not be approved for general inmate viewing.

Regardless of a film’s MPAA rating, those glorifying violence or considered inflammatory to the climate of the institution shall not be approved for viewing.

Inmate Advisory Council (IACInstitution Advisory Counsel) may be used to make recommendations for the selection of specific entertainment movies.

Only entertainment movies that have Public Performance Rights (PPR) may be shown.

The Warden shall approve entertainment movies prior to inmate viewing.

Copyright Permission.

• All entertainment movies shown in the CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are a Public Performance. All entertainment movies shown in CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation institutions must be accompanied by appropriate license and copyright PPR.  Movies without explicit PPR shall not be shown.  All contract movie vendors shall provide PPR for each movie.

Accessibility.

• Institutional Wardens shall require that movies be shown in “Open Caption” or Descriptive Audio (AD) when the feature is available through the movie vendor.  All living unit or dayroom televisions shall display captions at all times.

• Caption services may not be available on R-ED rated movies.

• Inmate access to approved movies will be displayed on dayroom or living unit televisions.  Custody staff shall facilitate the showing of movies on institutional TVs in housing units.

• Inmates are responsible for turning on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADAAmericans with Disabilities Act) accessibility features for their personal television and movies in the cells,
  if available.

The Institution Television (ITV) system provides inmate access to basic broadcast television, information programs, official messaging, education, mandated content, and Division of Rehabilitative Programs Television (DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs-TV).  ITV is administered by local Television Specialist staff.  ITV content is approved by the institutional Warden.  ITV equipment is maintained and supported at the institutional level.  Inmate owned televisions are not maintained by institutional staff.

The DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs-TV system consists of multiple channels which provide access to rehabilitation-centered television programming to all adult institutions within the CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.  DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs-TV provides access to official messaging, education, and mandated content.  The DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs Office of Program Support (DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs-OPSOutpatient Status), Media Section, administers DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs-TV.  The DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs Director approves content provided through DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs-TV.  DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs-OPSOutpatient Status staff maintain and support DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs-TV equipment, with assistance from the local institution Television Specialist.

State-owned television sets may be provided in dayrooms or other areas accessible to general population inmates. Televisions placed in these areas shall not be moved for service, repair, or replacement except by an authorized staff person.

Program schedules shall be decided by majority vote of the inmates in attendance in the dayrooms or other areas used for general population viewing at the time of the vote.

DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs-TV educational programs shall receive priority over other program content.

Any tampering with the television shall be cause for disciplinary action.

Refer to Department Operations Manual chapter 10, article 3 for educational, social, cultural, and community interaction-based activities.

The Arts-In-Corrections Program provides leisure time activities administered by the Division of Rehabilitative Programs (DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs) headquarters Arts Program Administrator (APAAdministrative Procedure Act).  This headquarters APAAdministrative Procedure Act provides overall supervision for the institutional Artist–Facilitators or Lead Artists who are the designated program contact persons.  The APAAdministrative Procedure Act shall provide support, assistance, and ensure activity compliance.

The Community Resource Manager (CRMCommunity Resource Manager) at each institution shall be designated as the immediate supervisor for the Artist Facilitators and Lead Artists.

Art activities may consist of, but are not limited to, the following:

• Literary arts, including poetry, creative writing, playwriting, and book arts.

• Visual arts, including painting, drawing, printmaking, calligraphy, and graphic arts.

• Performing arts, including music, theater, and dance.

Inmate recreational weight lifting activities shall not be permitted at California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation institutions or facilities.

The institution’s education department shall make available to eligible inmates a recreation and physical education program that consists of the Office of Correctional Education (OCEOffice of Correctional Education (see DRP)) adopted standards for physical education to prepare inmates for a lifetime of physical activity, health, and well-being. To achieve these goals, inmates shall:

• Develop proficiency in combining movement and motor skills.

• Understand how movement and motor skills should be performed based on biomechanics principles.

• Understand how to improve their movement and motor skills.

• Understand game tactics and demonstrate their use in game settings.

• Develop a healthy level of flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, body composition, and cardiorespiratory endurance.

• Participate regularly in physical activity.

• Understand the benefits of regular physical activity.

• Understand how to create a personal fitness plan.

• Demonstrate appropriate social skills and personal responsibility in a physical activity setting.

A Physical Education Teacher, with a single subject credential in Physical Education issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC), shall coordinate and provide direct supervision of the recreation and physical
education program.

Inmate participation in recreation activities shall be voluntary, non-credit, accomplished during non-assignment hours, and be dependent on privilege level.

Participation in Physical Fitness Training (PFT) shall be based upon Classification Committee action, and is considered a credit earning program.

Several components of the recreation and physical education program require specialized instruction and training.  These components include, but are not limited to, the following:

Funding for recreation is provided by the DRPDivision of Rehabilitative Programs and Inmate Welfare Funds; PFT funding is provided by the Division of Adult Institutions (DAIDivision of Adult Institutions (formerly Institutions Division)).

These education program components shall meet the OCEOffice of Correctional Education (see DRP) adopted teacher to student ratio.

Whenever possible, instructional resources for these program components shall be compiled on a standard list and placed on contract.

This training course is designed to evaluate, prepare, and test the physical preparedness of inmates for admission into a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALCalipatria State Prison FIRE) Training and eventual assignment to a California State Conservation Camp (fire camp) as a firefighter, emergency transport vehicle attendant, or for support services.

Inmates shall possess clearance authorizing their participation in emergency firefighting activities.

The Principal or designee shall provide supervision of Physical Fitness Training (PFT) courses. The bargaining unit contract designates specific PFT instructional days.

A Physical Education Teacher, shall teach this course at each applicable institution.  The assigned teacher shall be responsible for recording and reporting all training time and absences of inmates assigned under their supervision.

The PFT involves proficiency testing in activities measured by specific count, time frame, or strength demonstration.  These measured activities shall be specified in the OCEOffice of Correctional Education (see DRP) adopted curriculum framework.

Unless waived by the Warden, an inmate must successfully complete PFT prior to being admitted into the forestry training.

Each institution/facility shall provide the clothing, equipment, and supplies necessary for PFT.  Institution adult schools shall provide a variety of recreational and physical education activities. Strict accountability of items issued to inmates shall be maintained by utilizing a staff-supervised checkout system.

Conservation camps (fire camps) shall provide recreation and physical education opportunities for their respective inmate populations.  These opportunities shall be compatible with camp operations, staffing, and the geographic location of the camp, and will be funded by the Division of Adult Institution’s budget.

Inmate clerks and recreation assistant aides are valuable resources when trained and properly supervised.  Inmate clerks and recreation assistant aides shall be selected on the basis of their relationships with other inmates, previous work record, attitude toward staff, and desire to work.

These aides may serve as program assistants, activity leaders, and sports officials performing the following functions:

• Supply clerks, issuing supplies under the supervision of designated staff.

• Record keeping of equipment and supplies under the supervision of designated staff.

• Preparation and distribution of announcements and flyers.

• Cleaning and maintenance of the adult institution or facility, and equipment.

A recreation committee may be established at each institution. Composition should include staff and inmates.  This committee may be used to provide input and offer recommendations on recreational and physical education programming.

Inmate participants shall be composed of a cross-section of inmates eligible to participate in the program.

Community participation in institutional recreation and physical education activities shall be encouraged. Community volunteers may be utilized in accordance with institution or facility’s Operational Procedures.

The Superintendent of Education shall ensure the contents of this Article are current and accurate.