103 CMR 403.16 - Seized Inmate Property
Any item of property removed by an officer from an inmate's living quarters shall be held as follows:
(1) Property which could be evidence in
disciplinary or criminal proceedings shall, by the end of the seizing officer's
tour of duty, be delivered to the Superintendent or his or her designee for
safekeeping or be delivered to the appropriate law enforcement
agency.
(2) Money orders, certified
checks, and bank checks, seized as contraband, which could be evidence in
disciplinary or criminal proceedings, shall be confiscated and delivered to the
appropriate law enforcement agency, or delivered to the Superintendent or his
or her designee for safekeeping for a period (not to exceed three years for
investigative purposes). If, after a disciplinary hearing, it has been found by
a preponderance of the evidence, and upon specific written findings, that the
money order(s), certified check(s), or bank check(s), were illicitly obtained
by the inmate, the money order(s), certified check(s), or bank check(s), shall
be retained for referral to the appropriate law enforcement agency, returned to
the sender if known, or disposed of pursuant to
103 CMR
403.15(1)(b)3. Under no
circumstances should money orders, certified checks, or bank checks, be
destroyed.
(3) All postage stamps
seized in conjunction with, but not limited to, disciplinary offenses
103 CMR 430.24:
Code of Offenses (3-8), (3-14), (3-18), (4-1), and (4-3),
shall be deemed contraband and the stamps shall be immediately used for
indigent inmate mail purposes upon resolution of any disciplinary proceeding
where guilt is established. Under no circumstances should usable, unaltered
postage stamps be destroyed.
(4)
Except for money that is determined to belong to the inmate, but is in excess
of what is allowed, the disposal of which is governed by
103 CMR
405.14: Disposal of Money Seized as
Contraband, any money found in an inmate's possession shall be
confiscated as contraband and shall be retained for referral to the appropriate
law enforcement agency, returned to its rightful owner if known, placed in the
inmate benefit fund, or otherwise disposed of pursuant to
103 CMR
403.15(1)(b)3. Under no
circumstances should cash or coins be destroyed.
(5) All other property which has been removed
shall be forwarded to the Property Officer, who shall inventory and store such
property until such time as it is disposed of in accordance with
103 CMR
403.15.
(6) Whenever an inmate is discharged or
paroled, all items of the inmate's property which have been stored by the
institution shall be returned, except for those items properly seized pursuant
to
103 CMR 403.15(2)
and 403.16. Any such seized property items
shall be returned to the inmate upon resolution of any disciplinary and/or
criminal proceedings, except where items are contraband or in violation of the
rules and regulations of the institution or the Department, pursuant to
103 CMR 403.15(2)
and 403.16. The Property Officer shall check
each item of property including property retained in the living quarters,
against the inventory, noting on the inventory the date the property is
released to the inmate.
(7)
Whenever an inmate is transferred from one Department institution to another,
the sending institution shall ensure that the property transferring with the
inmate is not considered contraband for the receiving institution's security
level. If property items are considered contraband for the receiving
institution, then the sending institution's Property Department shall be
responsible for following the procedures set forth in
103 CMR
403.15.
Notes
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