What is the recommended action if a detainee becomes aggressive?

• A. Employ de-escalation techniques and, if necessary, follow escalation and use-of-force policies as a last resort.
• B. Immediately use force.
• C. Ignore the behavior.
• D. Evict the detainee from the facility.

Answer: (A)

When a detainee becomes aggressive, start with de-escalation. Use calm and respectful communication, listen to what they’re saying, give space if possible, and adjust your stance and proximity to reduce tension. These steps aim to prevent harm and keep everyone safer without escalating to force. If de-escalation doesn’t work and there’s clear danger, then follow the facility’s escalation and use-of-force policies, using force only as a last resort, and in a way that is proportional, necessary, and properly documented. The other options raise risk or fail to address the threat: forcing actions immediately can cause harm, ignoring the behavior leaves people at risk, and evicting someone from the facility doesn’t resolve the aggression in the moment.