Chapter 4 – Information Technology

49020.15.3 Incarcerated Person’s Access to Computers and Telecommunications Devices

• Incarcerated persons may access workstations for the purpose of completing specific tasks or assignments only while under direct and constant supervision. The approved uses of workstations by incarcerated persons shall be carried out only under very tightly controlled circumstances:

  • Each computer shall be labeled to indicate whether incarcerated persons access is authorized.

  • Computers used by incarcerated persons shall not be used concurrently for any other purpose.

  • The local ISCInformation Security Coordinators shall approve or disapprove the movement of computers from an “incarcerated person use” status to other work and vice versa.

  • Any computer that is being repurposed from employee use to incarcerated person use shall have the hard drive erased of all data prior to the redeployment using the methods in the department’s data wiping standards.

  • Incarcerated persons with a work assignment involving a particular computer shall not be assigned to work on other computers.
    

  • Areas where incarcerated persons are authorized to work on computers shall be posted as such.
    

  • All incarcerated persons shall be under the supervision of a knowledgeable employee within a controlled, designated area when using computers.
    

  • There shall be no communications capabilities in the designated area, such as a telephone line, computer network line, telephone punch panel, cell phones, wireless communication devices such as pagers or handheld computers or radio communication devices without approval of the AISO.

  • Incarcerated persons shall not have access to computer utility programs used tomodify the functionality of the computer or to view system configuration information,except in an approved Computer Refurbishment Program.

  • Incarcerated persons shall not have electronic storage media in their possession except within an approved area.

  • Incarcerated persons may not have access to computer application development tools.

  • An inventory and appropriate controls shall be maintained on all portable storage media diskettes. All portable storage media diskettes for incarcerated person use shall be labeled “For Incarcerated Person Use.” Reports and other printed output from incarcerated person-utilized computers shall be reviewed closely by staff, and appropriate distribution of such output shall be monitored.

  • Incarcerated persons shall not have access to the operating system of any computer. Incarcerated persons shall not have access to any interface that allows access to the system configuration of any computer including, but not limited to, dialogue boxes, setup, and configuration screens. Additionally, incarcerated persons shall not have access to operating system commands that allow viewing or modification of any aspect of a computer operating system or the configuration of a computer, except in an approved Computer Refurbishment Program.

  • Incarcerated persons shall not be allowed to load software onto hard disks, except in an approved Computer Refurbishment Program.
    

  • No incarcerated persons shall have access to, or possession of, any telecommunication capability, including internet-accessible computers, wireless devices such as pagers or handheld computing devices or cell phones without approval from the AISO.
    

  • There shall be no incarcerated person access to a computer outside the incarcerated person’s authorized work, vocational, or educational areas, unless approved by the AISO.