CDCR Correctional Officer Written Selection Exam

Passage: "CDCR institutions operate under Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations. Officers must enforce both Title 15 standards and individual institutional procedures. When procedures conflict, Title 15 controls." According to the passage, when does Title 15 control?

• AAlways
• BWhen procedures conflict
• COnly on weekends
• DOnly during count

Passage: "CDCR officers shall conduct an institutional count at scheduled times. All inmates must be physically observed and verified as living, breathing persons. A count that is not cleared triggers a recount until accurate." According to the passage, what must officers verify during count?

• AThat inmates are in their bunks
• BThat inmates are living, breathing persons
• CThat property is accounted for
• DThat meals were served

Passage: "All CDCR use-of-force incidents shall be reported on a CDCR Form 837 by every employee who used force or witnessed force. Reports shall be submitted before the employee leaves the institution at end of watch." Which CDCR employee must submit a 837 report after a use-of-force event?

• AOnly the officer who applied force
• BOnly the supervisor
• CEvery employee who used or witnessed force
• DOnly the medical staff

Passage: "Contraband is defined under Title 15 as any item not authorized by the warden or designee. Possession of contraband may be grounds for inmate discipline and may also trigger criminal charges under the California Penal Code if the item is dangerous." Based on the passage, contraband is:

• AAny item not authorized by the warden or designee
• BOnly weapons
• COnly drugs
• DOnly cell phones

Passage: "An officer's report shall be objective, factual, and free of speculation. Conclusions about inmate motivation are not appropriate unless supported by quoted statements." Under this rule, an officer writing "the inmate clearly wanted to escape" without a quote is:

• AAcceptable
• BNot appropriate under the rule
• CRequired
• DConfidential

Passage: "CDCR Title 15 §3268 limits use of force to the minimum amount reasonably necessary to gain compliance or control. Deadly force is authorized only when officers reasonably believe such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury to themselves or another, or to prevent escape from a secure perimeter." Deadly force is NOT authorized to:

• AStop an active deadly attack
• BRecover property from an inmate when no imminent threat exists
• CPrevent escape from a secure perimeter
• DDefend a third party from serious injury

Passage: "Inmates housed in restricted housing shall be afforded property, exercise, and visitation privileges as set out in Title 15. Limitations on these privileges must be documented in the inmate's central file with the reason for the limitation." The passage suggests that limitations:

• AAre routine and need no record
• BMust be documented in the central file with a reason
• CAre decided by the inmate
• DAre not allowed under any circumstances

Passage: "CDCR's mission is to enhance public safety by safely housing, supervising, and rehabilitating offenders. Officer conduct shall promote this mission both inside and outside the institution." The passage implies an officer's off-duty conduct:

• AHas no bearing on the mission
• BCan affect the mission
• CIs solely a private matter
• DIs the same as on-duty conduct

Passage: "All evidence collected during a CDCR investigation must be logged on a chain-of-custody form. Each transfer between staff requires both names, the date, the time, and the reason." If a log entry omits the reason, the entry is:

• AComplete
• BIncomplete under the passage
• CConfidential
• DOptional

Passage: "During cell searches, officers should leave the cell in substantially the same condition as it was found, absent contraband. Damage shall be documented and reported." The passage suggests that needlessly tearing up an inmate's legal papers during a search is:

• AEncouraged
• BInconsistent with the passage
• CRequired by policy
• DConfidential

Passage: "CDCR officers shall not use force to retaliate, punish, or coerce inmates. Force may only be used to enforce rules, prevent injury, or maintain institutional security." Force used to punish an inmate for a verbal insult is:

• APermitted under the passage
• BProhibited under the passage
• CRequired under the passage
• DDecided by the inmate

Passage: "All officers shall maintain a professional demeanor when communicating with inmates, visitors, and coworkers. Profanity, slurs, and personal commentary on inmates' backgrounds are prohibited." In this sentence, "demeanor" most nearly means:

• AUniform
• BOutward behavior
• CSalary
• DSchedule

Passage: "Inmate grievances are an essential tool for institutional accountability. Officers shall not interfere with, discourage, or retaliate against an inmate for filing a grievance." In this passage, "retaliate" most nearly means:

• AInvestigate
• BTake adverse action in response
• CApprove
• DDocument

Passage: "CDCR maintains zero tolerance for sexual abuse and harassment under PREA. Officers shall report all allegations immediately, regardless of source." The phrase "zero tolerance" most nearly means:

• AA flexible standard
• BNo exceptions are permitted
• CTolerance only for staff
• DTolerance only for certain inmates

Passage: "Officers shall not establish undue familiarity with inmates, including accepting gifts, performing favors, or sharing personal information." Sharing one's home address with an inmate is:

• APermitted
• BAn example of undue familiarity prohibited by the passage
• CRequired upon request
• DConfidential information

Passage: "In any incident involving force, medical staff shall examine the inmate as soon as practicable. The examination shall be documented on the medical report and attached to the use-of-force packet." An officer who delays medical contact for an injured inmate without justification:

• AHas acted consistent with the passage
• BHas acted inconsistent with the passage
• CHas acted as required by the passage
• DHas handled the incident properly

Passage: "All cell extractions shall be authorized in advance by a watch commander or designated supervisor. Spontaneous extractions without authorization are prohibited absent imminent threat to life." Based on the passage, a cell extraction conducted because an officer is annoyed by an inmate is:

• AAuthorized
• BProhibited under the passage
• CRequired
• DConfidential

Passage: "Officers shall safeguard the confidentiality of inmate medical and mental health information consistent with HIPAA and CDCR policy." Discussing an inmate's psychiatric medications with another inmate is:

• APermitted under the passage
• BInconsistent with the confidentiality requirement
• CRequired
• DConfidential to the inmate

Passage: "Officers should be cognizant of the increased risk of assault during medication distribution, count, and yard release." In this sentence, "cognizant" most nearly means:

• ASuspicious
• BAware
• CTired
• DCautious to inaction

Passage: "CDCR officers shall promptly notify a supervisor of any unusual occurrence. An unusual occurrence includes escapes, riots, hostage incidents, employee injuries, and inmate deaths." An inmate death must be reported:

• AAt end of shift
• BWithin 24 hours
• CPromptly to a supervisor
• DOnly in writing

Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.

• AEach of the officers carry a duty belt.
• BEach of the officers carries a duty belt.
• CEach of the officers are carrying a duty belt.
• DEach of the officers were carrying a duty belt.

Choose the sentence with correct comma usage.

• AAfter the inmate was restrained the officer notified the sergeant.
• BAfter the inmate was restrained, the officer notified the sergeant.
• CAfter, the inmate was restrained the officer notified the sergeant.
• DAfter the inmate, was restrained, the officer notified the sergeant.

Choose the sentence with correct semicolon usage.

• AThe officer secured the unit, however, count was incomplete.
• BThe officer secured the unit; however, count was incomplete.
• CThe officer secured the unit however count was incomplete.
• DThe officer secured the unit; however count was incomplete.

Choose the correctly spelled word.

• Arecieved
• Breceived
• Crecived
• Dreceeved

Choose the correctly spelled word.

• Aseperate
• Bseparate
• Cseperete
• Dseparete