How does SCDC decide where an inmate is housed?
When an offender is admitted to SCDC, he/she is assessed at the Reception and Evaluation Center. The intake process collects data on the inmate’s criminal and incarceration history, current offenses and sentences, medical status, and special program needs. These data are used to determine an inmate’s likelihood to escape or commit acts of violence while in prison. According to each inmate’s potential risk, a SCDC caseworker assigns her/him to one of three security/custody levels – minimum, medium, or maximum. This assessment and assignment process is commonly known as Inmate Classification System. Following their initial classification review at the Reception and Evaluation Center, inmates are subsequently reviewed every 12 months for security/custody changes, if appropriate. However, upon receiving new crime data or when an inmate commits an infraction, a case worker will initiate a re-classification review immediately, and adjust the inmate’s security/custody status and institutional
