Special Operations Response Team
Encyclopedia
The US Federal Bureau of Prisons
, or BOP for short, is a component of the US Department of Justice
(DOJ). The BOP is responsible for maintaining the custody of anyone convicted of committing a federal crime. To achieve this goal, the BOP maintains a number of correctional facilities
, which are divided into six regions, throughout the US. These facilities house approximately 90,000 inmates of varying security levels. Facilities are designated as either minimum, medium, maximum, or the most recent addition, super max
.
To help maintain security within facilities under its control, the BOP has formed a number of specialized tactical, and emergency response units. Operating under the direct control of the BOPs Office of Emergency Preparedness, these units consist of Special Operations Response Teams, or SORTs; Disturbance Control Teams; and Hostage Negotiation Teams. The Office of Emergency Preparedness was established in May of 1990, and is responsible for overseeing the agency’s SORT program, and coordinating emergency response capabilities. It also acts as a liaison office with other agencies during crisis situations. SORTs are highly trained tactical units capable of responding to prison disturbances, and providing assistance to other law enforcement agencies during emergencies.
. The team was formed as a response to the increasing level of violence being encountered in facility. A second team came on line shortly afterward at the USP Marion, Illinois
. Currently all medium and higher level security facilities are required to maintain a SORT.
SORT teams are composed of 15 personnel from various departments within the institution. Each team will have a number of specialist personnel assigned to it, such as:
, and are required to train for at least 8 hours a month. Most facilities dedicate at least 16 hours to training, with many more hours of personnel time spent honing skills. Monthly training includes firearms instruction, tactical planning, emergency medical care, rappelling, physical training, riot control techniques and other skills as deemed necessary. To maintain their certification teams participate in an annual regional training exercise. The teams are evaluated and ranked using national standards developed by the Office Of Emergency Preparedness. Teams found to be lacking any particular areas are given remedial training and brought up to standard. Teams are required to hold at least two mock emergency exercise per year to test their response to any potential crisis situation that may arise.
All SORT members and other emergency BOP staff are equipped with pager
s. If a situation develops that requires the use of the SORT, the team would be paged, and would respond to the facility. In the event a large scale emergency should arise, the BOP maintains palletized trailers of equipment at several storage areas around the country. BOP also maintains agreements with the Department of Defense
(DOD) to have BOP personnel, and equipment transported on DOD aircraft.
teams. As the situation grew more tense, the order was given to storm the facility. The assault was initiated by the HRT, and the federal tactical units were successful in regaining control of the facility.
Some of the lesser known operations that BOP SORTs have been involved in include the mass movement of inmates from FCI Miami, after the facility was damaged by Hurricane Andrew
; and the resolution of inmate disturbances at FCI Oakdale, Louisiana
, FCI Lawton, Oklahoma
, and the USP Atlanta.
In 1992 the first Rodney King
beating trial came to a close. The officers charged with using excessive force to arrest Rodney king were found not guilty. The city erupted in a spasm of violence. The city of Los Angeles
was unable to cope with the rising level of anarchy in its streets, and requested assistance from both the state and federal governments. The US government immediately ordered the deployment of federal troops and law enforcement agencies to the embattled city. The BOP dispatched several of its SORTs to the area who helped maintain control of federal facilities in the area.
, black Kevlar helmets
, and tactical foot wear of various manufacture. SORT equipment varies from team to team, with all teams being equipped with level IIIA body armor
, and some type of load bearing vest. Additional protection is provided by the use of Body Bunker ballistic shields
.
SORT weapons include Smith & Wesson
40s, SIG Sauer P228 pistols, Colt 9mm SMG
s or HK MP5 SMGs
, Benelli M1 Super 90
shotguns, McMillan M86 SR Sniper rifles
, 37mm gas guns
, diversionary devices , and chemical munitions.
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
, or BOP for short, is a component of the US Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
(DOJ). The BOP is responsible for maintaining the custody of anyone convicted of committing a federal crime. To achieve this goal, the BOP maintains a number of correctional facilities
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, which are divided into six regions, throughout the US. These facilities house approximately 90,000 inmates of varying security levels. Facilities are designated as either minimum, medium, maximum, or the most recent addition, super max
Supermax
Supermax is the name used to describe "control-unit" prisons, or units within prisons, which represent the most secure levels of custody in the prison systems of certain countries...
.
To help maintain security within facilities under its control, the BOP has formed a number of specialized tactical, and emergency response units. Operating under the direct control of the BOPs Office of Emergency Preparedness, these units consist of Special Operations Response Teams, or SORTs; Disturbance Control Teams; and Hostage Negotiation Teams. The Office of Emergency Preparedness was established in May of 1990, and is responsible for overseeing the agency’s SORT program, and coordinating emergency response capabilities. It also acts as a liaison office with other agencies during crisis situations. SORTs are highly trained tactical units capable of responding to prison disturbances, and providing assistance to other law enforcement agencies during emergencies.
Foundation
The first SORT was formed in 1982 at the United States Penitentiary (USP) Leavenworth, KansasUnited States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
The United States Penitentiary , Leavenworth was the largest maximum security federal prison in the United States from 1903 until 2005. It became a medium security prison in 2005.It is located in Leavenworth, Kansas...
. The team was formed as a response to the increasing level of violence being encountered in facility. A second team came on line shortly afterward at the USP Marion, Illinois
Marion, Illinois
The city of Marion is the county seat of Williamson County, Illinois. The 2010 census counted 17,193 residents, making Marion the 25th most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area, in Illinois, and the second most populous city in Southern Illinois, outside of the Metro-East, behind...
. Currently all medium and higher level security facilities are required to maintain a SORT.
Scenarios
Possible scenarios that may require the deployment of a SORT are:- Riots
- Assault on staff or inmates
- Escapes or attempted escapes
- Hostage situations
Personnel
SORTs are strictly composed of volunteer personnel from the host facility’s staff. Each SORT member has a regular duty assignment, and is assigned to the SORT on a collateral basis. SORTs will primarily operate at their host facility, but are on call to respond to any incident that may occur at any BOP, or federal controlled facility.SORT teams are composed of 15 personnel from various departments within the institution. Each team will have a number of specialist personnel assigned to it, such as:
- An EMTEmergency medical technicianEmergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
- A certified firearms instructor
- A rappel master
- A security specialist/locksmith
- A blue print expert
- A sniper/spotter team
- A forced entry specialist trained in the use of explosives
- A chemical agents specialist
Training
SORts receive their initial training, and certification from the Office of Emergency ManagementOffice of Emergency Management
In the United States, an Office of Emergency Management is an agency at the local, state or national level that holds responsibility of comprehensively planning for and responding to all manner of disasters, whether man-made or natural...
, and are required to train for at least 8 hours a month. Most facilities dedicate at least 16 hours to training, with many more hours of personnel time spent honing skills. Monthly training includes firearms instruction, tactical planning, emergency medical care, rappelling, physical training, riot control techniques and other skills as deemed necessary. To maintain their certification teams participate in an annual regional training exercise. The teams are evaluated and ranked using national standards developed by the Office Of Emergency Preparedness. Teams found to be lacking any particular areas are given remedial training and brought up to standard. Teams are required to hold at least two mock emergency exercise per year to test their response to any potential crisis situation that may arise.
All SORT members and other emergency BOP staff are equipped with pager
Pager
A pager is a simple personal telecommunications device for short messages. A one-way numeric pager can only receive a message consisting of a few digits, typically a phone number that the user is then requested to call...
s. If a situation develops that requires the use of the SORT, the team would be paged, and would respond to the facility. In the event a large scale emergency should arise, the BOP maintains palletized trailers of equipment at several storage areas around the country. BOP also maintains agreements with the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
(DOD) to have BOP personnel, and equipment transported on DOD aircraft.
History
BOP SORTs have participated in several high profile events over the last few years. In 1991, Cuban inmates at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Talladega, Alabama rioted and took several hostages. The BOP responded immediately by deploying several SORTs, and received additional assistance from the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), along with several regional FBI SWATSWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
teams. As the situation grew more tense, the order was given to storm the facility. The assault was initiated by the HRT, and the federal tactical units were successful in regaining control of the facility.
Some of the lesser known operations that BOP SORTs have been involved in include the mass movement of inmates from FCI Miami, after the facility was damaged by Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
; and the resolution of inmate disturbances at FCI Oakdale, Louisiana
Oakdale, Louisiana
Oakdale is a small city in Allen Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,137 at the 2000 census.Oakdale was founded as "Dunnsville" by William T. Dunn...
, FCI Lawton, Oklahoma
Lawton, Oklahoma
The city of Lawton is the county seat of Comanche County, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in the southwestern region of Oklahoma approximately southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and the USP Atlanta.
In 1992 the first Rodney King
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
beating trial came to a close. The officers charged with using excessive force to arrest Rodney king were found not guilty. The city erupted in a spasm of violence. The city of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
was unable to cope with the rising level of anarchy in its streets, and requested assistance from both the state and federal governments. The US government immediately ordered the deployment of federal troops and law enforcement agencies to the embattled city. The BOP dispatched several of its SORTs to the area who helped maintain control of federal facilities in the area.
Uniform and equipment
Uniforms consist of black US Battle Dress uniformsBattle Dress Uniform
The Battle Dress Uniform were the fatigues that the armed forces of the United States used as their standard uniform for combat situations from September 1981 to April 2005. Since then, it has been replaced in every branch of the U.S. military. Only the U.S. Navy currently authorizes wear of the...
, black Kevlar helmets
Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops
Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops, sometimes abbreviated to PASGT, was a combat helmet and ballistic vest used by the American military from the mid 1980s until 2005, when the system was succeeded by the Lightweight Helmet, Modular Integrated Communications Helmet, and Interceptor body...
, and tactical foot wear of various manufacture. SORT equipment varies from team to team, with all teams being equipped with level IIIA body armor
Personal armor
Personal armor is the whole of protecting clothing, designed to absorb and/or deflect slashing, bludgeoning, and penetrating attacks. They were historically used to protect soldiers, whereas today, they are also used to protect police forces, private citizens and private security guards or...
, and some type of load bearing vest. Additional protection is provided by the use of Body Bunker ballistic shields
Ballistic shield
A ballistic shield or tactical shield is a hand-held shield that is capable of defending the user from handguns, shotguns and submachine guns. Less common are heavier and thicker rifle-protection shields that are mounted on wheels for ease of mobility...
.
SORT weapons include Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
40s, SIG Sauer P228 pistols, Colt 9mm SMG
Colt 9mm SMG
The Colt 9mm SMG is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun manufactured by Colt, based on the M16 rifle platform.-Design details:The Colt 9mm SMG is a closed bolt, blowback operated SMG, rather than the conventional direct impingement gas operation of the standard 5.56x45mm M16 type rifle.The overall...
s or HK MP5 SMGs
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
, Benelli M1 Super 90
Benelli M1 Super 90
The Benelli M1 is a semi-automatic shotgun manufactured by Benelli Armi S.P.A.. It is available in several versions for civilian, law enforcement and military use. It features the proprietary Benelli recoil system, known for its reliability and easy maintenance...
shotguns, McMillan M86 SR Sniper rifles
M86 sniper rifle
The M86 sniper rifle is a bolt action sniper rifle that was used by the U.S. armed forces and manufactured by Harris Gunworks . It was used by Navy SEALs and Delta Force...
, 37mm gas guns
Milkor Stopper 37/38 mm riot gun
The Milkor Stopper is a riot gun used for riot control, designed to fire a 37mm cartridge, which can be a teargas canister or a rubber shot cartridge or explosive. It fires one shot before reloading. It opens at the breech like ordinary shotguns ....
, diversionary devices , and chemical munitions.