A Unit Discipline Committee (UDC) will review the incident report once the staff investigation is complete. The UDC's review involves the following:
(a) Available dispositions. The UDC will make one of the following decisions after reviewing the incident report:
(1) You committed the prohibited act(s) charged, and/or a similar prohibited act(s) as described in the incident report;
(2) You did not commit the prohibited act(s) charged; or
(3) The incident report will be referred to the Discipline Hearing Officer (DHO) for further review, based on the seriousness of the prohibited act(s) charged.
(4) If you are charged with a Greatest or High severity prohibited act, or are an inmate covered by § 541.4, the UDC will automatically refer the incident report to the DHO for further review.
(b) UDC members. The UDC ordinarily consists of two or more staff. UDC members will not be victims, witnesses, investigators, or otherwise significantly involved in the incident.
(c) Timing. The UDC will ordinarily review the incident report within five work days after it is issued, not counting the day it was issued, weekends, and holidays. UDC review of the incident report may also be suspended if it is being investigated for possible criminal prosecution.
(d) Inmate appearance. You are permitted to appear before the UDC during its review of the incident report, except during UDC deliberations or when your presence would jeopardize institution security, at the UDC's discretion. Also:
(1) You may appear either in person or electronically (for example, by video or telephone conferencing) at the UDC's discretion.
(2) You may waive your appearance before the UDC. If you waive your appearance, the UDC will review the incident report in your absence.
(3) If you escape or are otherwise absent from custody, the UDC will conduct a review in your absence at the institution where you were last confined.
(e) Evidence. You are entitled to make a statement and present documentary evidence to the UDC on your own behalf. The UDC will consider all evidence presented during its review. The UDC's decision will be based on at least some facts and, if there is conflicting evidence, on the greater weight of the evidence.
(f) Sanctions. If you committed a prohibited act or prohibited acts, the UDC can impose any of the available sanctions in Tables 1 and 2 of § 541.3, except loss of good conduct time credit, FSA Time Credits, disciplinary segregation, or monetary fines.
(g) Referral to the DHO. If the UDC refers the incident report to the DHO for further review, the UDC will advise you of your rights at the upcoming DHO hearing, as detailed in § 541.8.
(h) Written report. You will receive a written copy of the UDC's decision following its review of the incident report.
(i) Appeals. You may appeal the UDC's action(s) through the Administrative Remedy Program, 28 CFR part 542, subpart B.
[75 FR 76267, Dec. 8, 2010; 75 FR 81854, Dec. 29, 2010; 87 FR 2719, Jan. 19, 2022]