Where to go after receiving a grievance response

FDC rules provide a grievance procedure for use when issues can not be resolved informally. Grievances can be an effective tool for the institution’s top management to know what is happening at the staff level. However, we often receive complaints that the grievance procedure does not work at all! While it is important for the incarcerated person to understand the rules and follow proper procedures, it is equally important to know what to do when institution management drops the ball so we have jotted down a few scenarios and responses as follows:

THE INFORMAL GRIEVANCE WAS NOT RESPONDED TO AT ALL

On the issue of failure to respond to the original grievance, file a grievance directly to the Warden using the “Request for Administrative Remedy or Appeal” Form DC1-303 being sure to put “0” on the blank line in front of your signature not to allow any days to extend FDC’s response and make sure the grievance was placed in the grievance box where provided rather than handed to staff.

FORMAL GRIEVANCE TO THE WARDEN SAID A COPY OF THE INFORMAL GRIEVANCE WAS NOT ATTACHED

FDC rules require a copy of the informal grievance except for situations set forth in FDC rules that allow a direct grievance (e.g., medical issues). If the grievance was erroneously denied for failure to attach the informal grievance, and it WAS attached, or the rules say that an informal is not necessary, file a grievance directly to Tallahassee using the “Request for Administrative Remedy or Appeal” Form DC1-303 being sure to put “0” on the blank line in front of your signature not to allow any days to extend FDC’s response.

GRIEVANCE WAS "RETURNED," SO THAT YOU CANNOT FILE A “REQUEST FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDY OR APPEAL FORM” DC1-303

If there are legitimate grounds for the grievance, file a grievance directly to the Warden using the  “Request for Administrative Remedy or Appeal” Form DC1-303 being sure to put “0” on the blank line in front of your signature not to allow any days to extend FDC’s response over the fact that the informal was “returned.”

GRIEVANCE WAS "APPROVED,” BUT NOTHING WAS ACTUALLY DONE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM, STOPPING THE GRIEVANCE FROM BEING REVIEWED AT A HIGHER LEVEL

If the issue is not resolved within 14 days, file a new formal grievance over the failure to resolve the issue direct to Tallahassee using the “Request for Administrative Remedy or Appeal” Form DC1-303 being sure to put “0” on the blank line in front of your signature not to allow any days to extend FDC’s response.

THE GRIEVANCE IS REJECTED BECAUSE IT ADDRESSES MORE THAN ONE ISSUE, WHEN IT DOES NOT

Take great care when writing a grievance to address only a single issue, as required by FDC rules. If a grievance which really has only one issue is rejected on erroneous grounds that there were multiple issues, file a grievance direct to Tallahassee using the  “Request for Administrative Remedy or Appeal” Form DC1-303 being sure to put “0” on the blank line in front of your signature not to allow any days to extend FDC’s response.

FDC STAFF RESPONDING TO THE GRIEVANCE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS WRITTEN

If the responding staff member did not understand the grievance, file direct to Tallahassee using the  “Request for Administrative Remedy or Appeal” Form DC1-303 being sure to put “0” on the blank line in front of your signature not to allow any days to extend FDC’s response.

FDC PROVIDED THE SAME ANSWER, VERBATIM, TO EVERY INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL FORMAL GRIEVANCE

If the answer does not address the issue, file direct to Tallahassee using the “Request for Administrative Remedy or Appeal” Form DC1-303 being sure to put “0” on the blank line in front of your signature not to allow any days to extend FDC’s response.

IF A GRIEVANCE IS FILED, THERE IS OFTEN RETALIATION

Grievances are necessary to put institution management on official notice of an issue. In some situations, there is little risk of retaliation, such as grieving failure to receive a tablet. In some other situations, fear of retaliation is real. You must decide when and where to draw the line on the importance of grieving an issue. But bear in mind that if you do not stand up for yourself, even though retaliation is possible, nothing will change.

(updated 2/6/25)