Tactical Commander
The DOC employee who has command authority over the Emergency Response Team. This person reports directly to the incident commander and is responsible for directing team operations during a crisis, forced cell entry, or other tactical response.
Technical Parole Violator (TPV)
An offender whose parole has been revoked by the Parole Board for one or more violations of parole conditions, other than a new felony conviction, or an offender who requests revocation and has no new felony convictions. Technical violations include failure to report, positive drug tests, unauthorized travel, and similar condition breaches.
Temporary Placement
The placement of an offender in any county or city detention facility pending court appearances or regressive movement when an Emergency Action Order has not been assigned.
Temporary Release
A temporary release for purposes preparatory for return to the community. The offender remains under DOC jurisdiction during the release period and must return by the specified time or face escape charges.
Tobacco Products
Includes cigarettes, pipes, pipe tobacco, tobacco substitutes, chewing tobacco, cigars, matches, cigarette lighters, smoking paraphernalia, and all other items developed or processed for the primary purpose of facilitating the use or possession of tobacco or tobacco-related products. Most DOC facilities are tobacco-free; possession of tobacco is a contraband infraction in smoke-free facilities.
Total Expungement
The complete removal and destruction of a criminal record document or documents. Distinct from sealing (which restricts access but retains records). Eligibility varies significantly by state and offense type. Federal criminal records cannot be expunged.
Transfer Request Form
The document produced to initiate investigation of an interstate parole transfer with a compact state under the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision. It begins the formal process of requesting the receiving state accept supervision of the parolee.
Translator
A person qualified to communicate in a foreign language who assists in proceedings, hearings, medical appointments, or other official interactions where an offender or other party has limited English proficiency. DOC facilities are required to provide language access services in many contexts under federal civil rights law.
Transport/Restraint Chair
A specifically manufactured chair used to safely and securely transport an offender from one area to another. The chair has two separate functions -- transport and restraint -- and its designation and use are based on the offender's actions and level of resistance.
Transport Shoes
Notched state-issue shoes that are oversized with no shoelaces, issued during offender transport to reduce escape risk. Available in white, red, blue, or orange. All medically approved shoes are authorized to be worn during transports in lieu of transport shoes where medical necessity is documented.
Transportation Coordinator
An administrative assistant assigned to coordinate the movement of parolees to parole hearings units and manage scheduling for transport operations within the Division.
Transportation Unit
A unit of community parole officers responsible for transporting offenders supervised by Adult Parole, Community Corrections, and YOS, both within and outside the state. When approved by the deputy director of Operations, this unit may transport other persons as required.
Travel Plan
The transportation arrangement that an offender will utilize to proceed to a receiving state following approval of an interstate compact transfer. The travel plan specifies the route, method of transportation, and timeline the offender must follow.
Treatment
The relationship and activities between a mental health clinician and an offender with the goal of producing change in attitudes and behaviors that result in favorable, pro-social adjustment. Includes individual therapy, group programming, cognitive behavioral interventions, and medication management. Documented in the health record and informs classification and release planning.
Treaty Nation
A country that has entered into a treaty with the United States on the execution of penal sentences. Treaty transfers allow foreign nationals incarcerated in the US to serve the remainder of their sentence in their home country, and US citizens convicted abroad to transfer to US custody. The process requires consent of both governments and the prisoner.
What is a Technical Parole Violator and what happens to them? +
A Technical Parole Violator (TPV) is a parolee returned to custody for violating parole conditions without a new felony conviction. Common technical violations include missing a report date, failing a drug test, leaving the jurisdiction without permission, or failing to maintain approved housing. Upon revocation, the TPV returns to prison to serve remaining sentence time. Many states have moved toward graduated sanctions -- warnings, increased reporting, GPS monitoring -- for minor technical violations before revoking and reincarcerting, as research shows reincarceration for minor technicals has high cost and limited public safety benefit.
What is treatment in prison mental health and who receives it? +
Mental health treatment in a correctional facility is the clinical relationship between a licensed mental health professional and an inmate, aimed at changing attitudes and behaviors that contribute to criminal conduct or impair daily functioning. It includes individual therapy, cognitive behavioral group programs, medication management, and crisis intervention. Inmates are assessed at intake for mental health needs. Those with identified diagnoses are assigned to a mental health caseload and receive treatment at an intensity level matched to their clinical need -- from periodic check-ins up to placement in a Mental Health Unit.
What is total expungement and is it available for federal convictions? +
Total expungement is the complete removal and destruction of criminal records -- not just sealing them from public view, but physically eliminating them. Eligibility is entirely state-governed and varies widely: some states allow expungement of arrests without conviction and certain first-offense misdemeanors; others allow it for select felonies after a waiting period. Federal criminal records cannot be expunged -- there is no federal expungement statute. Even in states that allow expungement, records may still be accessible to law enforcement, immigration authorities, and some professional licensing boards.
What is a treaty transfer and can a foreign national be transferred home? +
A treaty transfer allows a foreign national incarcerated in the US to apply to serve the remainder of their sentence in their home country, if a prisoner transfer treaty exists between the US and that country. The process requires consent of both governments and the prisoner. The BOP handles federal treaty transfers through its International Prisoner Transfer Program. Approval is not guaranteed -- the home country can decline, and the BOP evaluates public safety and other factors. If approved, the foreign country administers the sentence under its own rules, which may result in earlier release than the US sentence would allow.