Covid Booking Procedures (Tensas Parish Sheriff's Office)

The Trace filed this request with the Tensas Parish Sheriff's Office of Tensas County, LA.
Multi Request Covid Booking Procedures
Status
Completed

Communications

From: The Trace


To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Louisiana Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:

Any correspondence, memos or other written guidance related to changes in booking procedures during Covid. Please include any information related to fingerprinting and DNA swabbing, as well as other booking protocols.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 3 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

The Trace

From: Tensas Parish Sheriff's Office

To Whom It May Concern:

Movement was closed due to COVID. If by chance, any movement was deemed an
emergency, all equipment was wiped down. All participating wore mask and
gloves and at specific times, clothing. All DNA is already been completed
before they get to this facility. That includes fingerprints. Once again,
if it was deemed an emergency, the same procedure is put into place.

Pat W. Smith, Warden

Tensas Parish Detention Center

8606 Hwy 65

Waterproof, La 71375

psmith@tensasdc.org

318-749-5810 (work)

318-282-0071 (cell)

318-749-9395 (fax)

From: The Trace

Dear Warden Smith,

Thanks so much for your help with this request!
What I'm trying to understand is whether anyone who would have normally been fingerprinted at the time of arrest was not fingerprinted during Covid for safety reasons. Do you know? (I am asking this question of law enforcement agencies all across the country in hopes of getting a general sense of what protocols were followed.)

Sincerely,
Ann Givens
The Trace

From: Tensas Parish Sheriff's Office

When this facility receives offenders they have already been fingerprinted,
had been swabbed for DNA and have got their Department of Corrections time.

From: The Trace

Oh, I see. Which agency or agencies do the fingerprinting ?
Thank you!
Ann

From: Tensas Parish Sheriff's Office

Whatever jurisdiction they are convicted in.

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