Correctional Operations and Risk Management
ADA Behind Bars
Agency Self-Assessment
This assessment is designed to help correctional agencies evaluate how their current policies, procedures, facilities, clinical systems, and operational practices address the needs of incarcerated people with disabilities.
Complete Responses Produce a Better Review
Shield’s analysis will be based solely on the information submitted through this assessment. A response of Partially, No, or Unknown requires a brief explanation describing the agency’s current practice, the principal limitation or uncertainty, and any planned improvement.
Concise explanations are acceptable. The more complete and specific the agency’s responses are, particularly in the explanatory fields, the more focused and useful Shield’s preliminary review and consultation can be.
What Shield Will Provide
Agencies that submit a substantially complete assessment by December 1, 2026, will receive:
- A preliminary review of the agency’s responses;
- Identification of matters that may warrant clarification, further evaluation, or operational attention;
- Practical observations concerning apparent strengths, potential risks, and improvement priorities;
- A preliminary written assessment review for use during the consultation; and
- A 30-minute consultation with Shield personnel to discuss the agency’s responses and potential next steps.
Shield will contact participating agencies during December 2026 to schedule consultation calls beginning on or after January 4, 2027.
The combined assessment review and consultation have an estimated value of $750 and are being offered without charge to agencies that received an authorized Shield invitation and submit a substantially complete assessment by the deadline.
Shield may request limited clarification or additional information before completing its review. A submission that omits substantial portions of the assessment or provides insufficient explanatory information may not support a meaningful review.
Who Should Complete the Assessment
The assessment should be completed by an agency representative who is sufficiently familiar with the facility’s operations, policies, clinical systems, accessibility practices, and administrative procedures.
Because the assessment covers multiple operational areas, agencies may wish to consult internally with personnel responsible for:
- Jail administration and operations;
- ADA coordination;
- Medical and behavioral-health services;
- Classification and housing;
- Training and policy development;
- Risk management and legal review;
- Emergency planning and transportation;
- Facility maintenance and physical accessibility; and
- Vendor and contractor oversight.
One authorized representative should submit the final agency response.
Information to Gather Before Starting
Agencies may find it helpful to review or gather information concerning:
- ADA designation, notices, grievance procedures, and accommodation requests;
- Intake and disability-screening practices;
- Interpreter, auxiliary-aid, and effective-communication procedures;
- Accessible housing, showers, toilets, routes, visitation, and program areas;
- Medical and behavioral-health policies and workflows;
- Chronic-care, medication, dialysis, CPAP, specialty-care, and continuity-of-care practices;
- Classification, discipline, restrictive housing, force, and restraint procedures;
- Emergency evacuation and transportation plans;
- Transfer, release, and community-care coordination;
- Staff training records;
- Vendor contracts and performance-monitoring procedures; and
- Quality-assurance, data-review, and corrective-action systems.
Important Submission Instructions
Provide only agency-level information. Do not include:
- Names or identifying information concerning incarcerated persons;
- Personal medical information or protected health information;
- Attorney-client communications or attorney work product;
- Information concerning active investigations or litigation strategy;
- Passwords, access credentials, security codes, or system configurations;
- Detailed facility-security vulnerabilities; or
- Other confidential, privileged, or security-sensitive information.
Responses should be candid, concise, and limited to the information necessary to describe the agency’s current practices, limitations, uncertainties, and planned improvements.
Nature and Limitations of the Review
This assessment is a preliminary educational and operational risk-identification tool. It is not a comprehensive ADA audit, architectural accessibility survey, medical-care review, legal opinion, certification of compliance, or guarantee that the agency satisfies all federal, state, or local requirements.
Completion of the assessment does not create an attorney-client relationship, consultant-client relationship, or other professional engagement with Shield Public Safety Training or any individual reviewer.
Any observations provided by Shield will be based solely on the information submitted by the agency. The review may identify matters that warrant additional legal analysis, clinical evaluation, architectural review, policy revision, staff training, operational assessment, or consulting assistance.
What Happens After Submission
- Shield will confirm receipt of the submission.
- Shield will review the agency’s responses and explanatory information.
- Shield may contact the submitting representative if material information is missing or unclear.
- Shield will prepare a preliminary review identifying apparent strengths, areas requiring clarification, and potential improvement priorities.
- Shield will contact the agency during December 2026 to schedule the 30-minute consultation.
- The consultation will focus on the agency’s highest-priority issues and practical next steps.
Use of Submitted Information
Shield will use the submitted information to conduct the preliminary review, prepare for the consultation, communicate with the submitting agency, and identify potential areas for additional assistance.
Submission of the assessment does not authorize Shield to publicly disclose the agency’s responses or use the agency’s name for promotional purposes.
Before You Begin
The assessment contains 105 substantive questions across 16 domains. Agencies should plan approximately 60 to 90 minutes or longer for completion, depending on the availability of information and the number of departments consulted.
Please gather the necessary information before beginning and provide complete explanatory responses whenever Partially, No, or Unknown is selected.
Questions about the assessment or technical difficulties may be directed to staff@shieldpst.org.
Begin the Assessment
ADA Behind Bars Agency Self-Assessment
Complete each section using the response that most accurately reflects the agency’s current implemented practice.