Section 201.20.13. Board of parole interviews.

Each institution provides space for the conduct of interviews between the Iowa board of parole and institutional offenders. When these meetings are held in correctional institutions, attendance is subject to security and safety regulations as stated herein. Any exception to these rules must have prior approval of the director of the department of corrections or designee.

       20.13(1) Persons desiring to attend a board of parole interview who are not on an offender’s visiting list shall notify the warden or superintendent of the respective institution of their intent to attend. A visitor’s application will be sent to the person, and the completed application must be received back by the institution at least 15 days prior to the scheduled date of the parole interview in order that a background investigation with law enforcement officials may be completed prior to attendance at the parole interview. Following a successful background investigation, authorization to attend parole interviews will be continuous subject to these rules and any subsequent background investigations conducted at the discretion of the warden or superintendent.

       20.13(2) Due to security considerations, those persons excluded from applying for visitation privileges pursuant to subrule 20.3(1), paragraph “f,” subparagraphs (1) to (7), inclusive, are also excluded from attending parole board interviews as listed below:

        a.           Individuals who have been discharged from a correctional institution within the last 18 months.

        b.           Individuals whose behavior represents a control problem or is counterproductive to the rehabilitation of the offender. This may be reflected in the background investigation report which shows the individual having a record of carrying concealed weapons, irresponsible or illegal use of a controlled substance, previous violation of institutional rules, or similar behavior.

        c.           Individuals on probation, work release or parole.

        d.           Individuals who have been convicted of incidents of aiding an escape or introducing contraband in any detention or supervised correctional setting.

        e.           Individuals who intentionally give false information.

        f.            Ex-felons.

        g.           When the interview is held inside the institution proper, no children under the age of 18 are allowed.

       20.13(3) Due to security considerations the following rules shall apply:

        a.           Written notification of approval or denial will be given to the requester.

       (1)             When approved, the requester shall be informed on the notification:

        1.            That the attendee may be subject to a search (subrule 20.13(3), paragraph “f”) when a staff member has an articulable reason to believe that the attendee is concealing contraband;

        2.            That the search may include a pat down, a strip search, or a visual body cavity probe search; and

        3.            That the requester need not submit to a strip search although refusal may result in the forfeiture of attendance.

       (2)             When denied, the applicant shall be apprised of the reasons for denial.

        b.           All requesters shall present proper identification upon entrance to the institution. Photo identification is preferred, but all identification shall identify personal characteristics, such as color of hair and eyes, height, weight and birth date.

       (1)             Signature cards may be required from requesters.

       (2)             All requesters may be required to be photographed for future identification purposes only.

        c.           Individuals may be required to leave the institution when:

       (1)             The offender or attendee engages in behavior that may in any way be disruptive to order and control of the institution.

       (2)             The attendee fails to follow the established rules and procedures of the institution.

       (3)             The attendee and offender directly exchange any object or article.

       (4)             The attendee talks or communicates with an offender.

       (5)             The effect of alcohol or narcotic drugs is detected on the attendee before or during the interview.

       (6)             There is detriment to the health of the offender or attendee.

       (7)             The attendee does not manage children.

        d.           Minors outside the immediate family shall have written permission from their parent or guardian and be accompanied by an adult. All children shall have adult supervision. Exceptions shall have prior approval of the warden, superintendent or designee.

        e.           Attendees shall be properly attired as would be expected in a public meeting place. Adults and teenagers shall wear shoes and may not wear miniskirts, shorts, muscle shirts, see-through clothing, halter tops, clothing with obscene or lewd slogans, pictures or words, and similar apparel. Attendees may be required to remove, for the duration of the interview, outerwear such as, but not limited to, coats, hats, gloves, and sunglasses. A medical need for sunglasses must be verified by prescription.

        f.            Attendees may be requested to submit to a personal search (pat down) or review by an electronic device for weapons or contraband. When the electronic device alarm is activated, the attendee shall produce the item, or a personal search may be made to find the item that set off the alarm. Attendees may be requested to submit to a strip search when there is an articulable reason to believe the person is concealing a weapon or contraband. Each institution shall designate the level of authority required to request a search through institutional policy. This person shall authorize the search in writing. The designation required pursuant to subrule 20.3(9) for visitation will suffice for this subrule as well. Entrance may be denied when the attendee is not willing to submit to a search. The request for a search shall be conducted in an inconspicuous manner. The attendee may verbally request a review by the warden, superintendent, or designee at the time of request for a search.

       (1)             Strip search means having a person remove or arrange some or all of their clothing so as to permit an inspection of the genitalia, buttocks, anus, female breasts, or undergarments of that person or a physical probe of any body cavity. Personal search means a pat down search on top of the attendee’s clothing.

       (2)             The search will be to the degree deemed appropriate or necessary. A strip search will be conducted only when the following conditions exist:

        1.            The search is conducted in a place where it cannot be observed by persons not conducting the search.

        2.            The search is conducted by a person of the same sex as the visitor, unless conducted by a medical practitioner or licensed registered nurse. A second correctional employee of the same sex as the attendee shall also be present during the search. In addition, the attendee may request a third person of the same sex as the attendee to be present during the search.

        3.            A visual search or probing of any body cavity shall be performed under sanitary conditions. A physical probe of a body cavity other than the mouth, ear, or nose shall be performed only by a medical practitioner. In the absence of a medical practitioner, a licensed registered nurse will conduct the search and report the findings to the on-call medical practitioner.

        4.            It will be permissible and not considered a body cavity search to request that a female attendee remove a sanitary napkin or tampon.

       (3)             An attendee accompanied by a minor child has the option of not having the child present during a strip search or pat down. The child will be attended by a staff person. When attendee refuses to leave the child with a staff person and does not want the child present during the search, attendance will be denied. At all times when a minor child is searched, the supervising adult may be present in the room.

       (4)             When an attendee is arrested, the attendee may be searched for weapons which may inflict harm on the arresting officer.

       (5)             Records shall be kept of all strip searches and shall include the name of the person subjected to the search, the names of the persons conducting and in attendance at the search, the time, date, and place of the search. The written record shall reflect the reason for the search and the results of the search. The written authorization for the search shall be included in the record.

       (6)             Attendees found in possession of contraband shall be referred to the county attorney for prosecution.

       20.13(4) The space provided for the parole interviews shall have a posted maximum capacity set by the fire marshal. The number of individuals in the room shall not exceed the maximum capacity. Individuals will be admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

       20.13(5) Cameras and recording devices are permitted with the following exceptions:

        a.           Media equipment is subject to search prior to admittance and at any time said equipment is inside the institution. Search shall be conducted in the presence of the photographer.

        b.           Should the attendees be required to pass through areas of the institution where for reasons of security or right to privacy media equipment is disallowed, the use of such equipment is prohibited in those areas.

       20.13(6) Interviews may be temporarily modified or suspended in the following circumstances: riot, disturbance, fire, labor dispute, space restriction, natural disaster, or other extreme emergency.

       20.13(7) Refer to Iowa Administrative Code, Parole Board[205] for rules governing conduct at the hearings as required by the Iowa Board of Parole.

       20.13(8) Rules that apply to registered victims are found in subrule 20.15(8).

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code sections 904.102 and 904.103.