JAIL SIGHT CHECKS
20 November 2007

Most jail facilities perform prisoner sight checks by visual, verbal or video monitors. The most affective way to perform a sight check is by visual, physical and verbal verification. Some jail standards require that sight checks be performed every hour. In one hour, a lot can happen. In my career on some occasions, sight checks were performed by ghost officers and documented for record as being performed. The jailer or detention officer figures everything is quiet and peaceful, so documents the roster as making a check. Officers that attempt to ghost check and falsely document records should be dismissed or severely reprimanded by their superiors.