Before taking action on a PUPS record or alert, develop and verify the following as needed:

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  inmate identity per GN 02607.600B.;

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  confinement period per GN 02607.600C.;

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  conviction date for a Title II beneficiary;

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  representative payee status. Check the Representative Payee System (RPS) to determine whether the inmate serves as a representative payee. If so, investigate the continued suitability of the inmate serving as a payee per GN 00504.103; and

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  missing inmate data per GN 02607.530.

In concurrent cases, each title will have its own pending PUPS record. Complete all development and update each record separately. For more information on handling concurrent cases, see GN 02607.780.

For unique BOP alert development requirements, see GN 02607.792.

Document the results of your development on the PUPS Prisoner Remarks (PRMK) screen. For more information on the PRMK screen, see MSOM PRISON 003.010.

PUPS distributes an inmate alert to the servicing PC when:

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  the Enumeration Verification System (EVS) verified the inmate’s identity;

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  the reporter provided confinement and conviction dates;

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  the inmate has been confined for at least 30 days; and

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  the reporter provided a facility identification (FID) code.

For more information on how PUPS distributes alerts, see GN 02607.410C. For more information on FID codes, see MSOM PRISON 002.001.

When there is no questionable or missing inmate information on an alert, suspend benefits following instructions in GN 02607.700. However, transfer the PUPS alert to the servicing FO when you find that:

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  the inmate’s identity is questionable;

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  there is missing or questionable confinement information or FID code; or

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  the date of confinement is 1 year or more in the past. NOTE: Verifying the confinement period of these alerts helps to eliminate erroneous suspensions resulting from incorrect facility reports or from old skeleton record alerts. (For information on skeleton records, see GN 02607.520.)

Request the FO to develop for the questionable or missing information and to process the alert. Update the PRMK screen with the questionable or missing information needing development.

For information on transferring PUPS PENDING records, see GN 02607.465.

The PUPS record displays the EVS code as an alpha or numeric character field on the Prison Report History (PURS) screen. For information on the PURS screen, see MSOM PRISON 003.005.

The PUPS alert displays the degree of SSN verification accuracy using the description of each EVS code in word format. An example of a PUPS alert is located in GN 02607.975C.

Compare the identity information on the alert with identity information in existing records (e.g., the Master Beneficiary Record, Supplemental Security Record, ALPHIDENT, NUMIDENT). If the PUPS inmate information belongs to the beneficiary, continue to process the alert. If the PUPS inmate information does not belong to the beneficiary or recipient, clear the alert per GN 02607.600D.1.

When you cannot determine whether the PUPS inmate information belongs to the identified beneficiary or recipient from existing records, contact the beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee to verify identity via a face-to-face contact according to GN 00203.003A. For instructions on resolving questions of identity during a face-to-face contact, see GN 00203.020.

When the beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee cannot provide the data needed to verify identity, contact one of the third party sources listed in GN 02607.680 or GN 02607.682 to resolve any identity discrepancies.

When contacting a confining facility, use the inmate number from the PUPS record as a reference rather than the beneficiary’s or recipient’s name. A confining facility’s records may not match exactly with the beneficiary’s or recipient’s identity information and, therefore, may not be sufficient to resolve the identity discrepancy. However, the facility’s records may resolve an identity discrepancy if they establish differences in race, sex, or other facts that would confirm that the inmate is not the beneficiary or recipient.

When the BOP is the source of the alert, follow instructions in GN 02607.790 when needing to contact a third party for verifying identity. Do not contact the BOP or any Federal prison.

When confined for 30 calendar days or less:

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  clear the PUPS record or alert per GN 02607.730C;

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  review IP data for a potential incorrect IP payment; (For instructions on recouping an incorrectly paid IP, see GN 02607.830B.) and

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  annotate the modernized development worksheet (MDW) to prevent possible duplicate development, if appropriate.

When confined for less than a full calendar month, clear the PUPS record or alert per GN 02607.705E.2. and review the IP data for a potential incorrect IP payment. For instructions on recouping an incorrectly paid IP, see GN 02607.830B.