The Two-Hour Rule
Unit Order 14-3 states: 'Any officer who discovers suspected contraband medication during a routine search shall: (1) secure the item in an evidence envelope; (2) notify the control room immediately; (3) refer the inmate to medical for evaluation before any disciplinary action; and (4) submit a misconduct report no later than two hours after discovery. If medical evaluation cannot be completed within two hours, the officer shall submit the misconduct report with a notation of the pending evaluation and update the report within 24 hours.' On Wednesday at 1015, Officer Grant finds six white pills in Inmate B-188's sock during a shake-down. Grant seals the pills at 1018 and notifies the control room at 1019. Medical begins evaluation at 1140 and finishes at 1205. Grant takes a scheduled lunch from 1210 to 1240. The shift supervisor asks for the misconduct report at 1230.
1. When is the misconduct report due under the order? Show your calculation and identify any conflict with the supervisor's request.
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Discovery is at 1015. Two hours later is 1215. Medical began at 1140 and finished at 1205, so the evaluation was completed before the 1215 deadline. The report is therefore due by 1215, and no pending-evaluation notation is required. The supervisor's request at 1230 is after the deadline. The lunch period from 1210 to 1240 does not extend the order's deadline. Grant should have prepared and submitted the report before 1210 or requested approval to adjust the lunch. If Grant is only writing at 1230, the report is late; he should not backdate it. He should record the actual submission time and explain the delay factually. The key reading point is that the two-hour clock starts at discovery, not at the end of medical, not at the end of shift, and not when the supervisor asks.
2. What should Grant do if medical evaluation had not been completed by 1215? Explain the purpose of the notation and update requirement.
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If medical had not completed the evaluation by 1215, Grant should still submit the misconduct report by 1215. The report must include a notation that medical evaluation was pending as of 1215. Grant would then update the report within 24 hours, by 1215 the next day, after medical completes the evaluation. The purpose is to preserve the two-hour reporting deadline while still requiring the medical referral. The notation prevents the officer from choosing between delaying the disciplinary report and omitting medical information. It also creates a record that the inmate was referred for evaluation before discipline. The update requirement ensures the file is complete later. Grant should not wait for medical to finish before writing the report, and he should not submit a report that hides the pending medical issue.
3. Write the report narrative in 4-6 sentences, including the required notation decision. Use only information in the scenario.
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Sample narrative: 'At 1015 on Wednesday, during a routine shake-down of Inmate B-188, I found six white pills in his sock. At 1018, I secured the pills in an evidence envelope. At 1019, I notified the control room. Inmate B-188 was referred to medical, where evaluation began at 1140 and ended at 1205. I am submitting this misconduct report before 1215, within two hours of discovery. No pending-evaluation notation is required because medical completed the evaluation at 1205.' This narrative follows the order: it gives discovery time, securing time, notification time, medical referral and completion, and the notation decision. It does not identify the pills beyond 'six white pills' because the scenario does not say what they were. If Grant actually submits at 1230, the last sentence should state the actual submission time and explain the delay rather than claiming compliance.