Shots

A "shot" is the inside word for an incident report, the formal piece of paper that begins the federal disciplinary process. A staff member writes up the alleged violation, the report is delivered to the person it is written on, and from that point forward the case moves through a structured hearing process. Shots are not the same as informal warnings or verbal counseling. Once a shot is written and not expunged, it becomes part of the central file and follows the person for the rest of their sentence.

Shots are tiered by the severity of the underlying offense. Under the BOP's Inmate Discipline Program, the 100-series codes are Greatest severity — things like assault, escape, and serious drug offenses. The 200-series is High severity, the 300-series is Moderate, and the 400-series is Low. The severity tier determines what range of sanctions is available and which body hears the case.

Lower-level shots are typically heard by the Unit Discipline Committee, or UDC — usually a small panel of unit staff. More serious shots, generally the 100 and 200 series, are referred to the Discipline Hearing Officer, or DHO, an institution-level hearing officer who runs a more formal proceeding. The person written up has the right to a staff representative, to call witnesses, and to present a statement. Only the DHO can take good conduct time; the UDC cannot.

Sanctions vary by tier and by the hearing officer's discretion, but commonly include loss of commissary, phone, email, or visiting privileges for a defined period; loss of good conduct time, which extends the projected release date; a disciplinary transfer; and placement in the Special Housing Unit, often called the SHU or segregation. A shot also affects classification scoring, which in turn affects security-level placement and eligibility for a halfway house or home confinement at the end of a sentence. A single 100-series shot late in a sentence can erase months of accumulated halfway house time.

For families, the practical things to know are these. A shot is not a conviction in the criminal sense, but the consequences inside are real and often quick. There is an appeal process — through the warden, the regional office, and the central office — and it is worth using, especially for serious shots, but it takes time. A person who has just gotten a shot may be in the SHU and unreachable by phone or email for days or weeks while the case is pending. Mail still gets through. Money on the books still works. The silence is procedural, not a sign that something worse has happened.