MD80 HAD 2 ARMED INS AGENTS ESCORTING A PRISONER; WERE NOT SEATED PROPERLY; WERE ASLEEP INFLT; AND DID NOT HAVE HANDCUFFS IN THEIR POSSESSION. THE CREW HAD TO PROVIDE PLASTIC FLEXIBLE HANDCUFFS; SO THE PRISONER COULD BE HANDCUFFED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACR FOM.

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UPON REACHING THE CHK-IN DESK AT THE GATE; THE PAX SERVICE AGENT TOLD ME THAT WE HAD TWO ARMED INS AGENTS ESCORTING A PRISONER ON OUR FLT TO CHICAGO. I WENT DOWN THE JETBRIDGE WITH THE THREE MALES FOLLOWING ME SO THAT THE PRISONER COULD BE BOARDED PRIOR TO ANY PAX. THE AGENT HAD ALREADY GIVEN THE NUMBER ONE FLT ATTENDANT A COPY OF THE ARMED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FORMS. ONE FORM SHOWED AN AGENT AND THE PRISONER IN SEAT XX X AND XX Y. THE OTHER AGENT ASSIGNED SEAT XX Z. THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID THAT SHE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE AGENTS BEING SEPARATED FROM THE PRISONER AND THAT SHE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS REQUIRED THAT THEY ALL BE IN THE SAME ROW WITH THE PRISONER IN BETWEEN THE TWO AGENTS. I ASKED ONE OF THE AGENTS WHY THEY WERE SEPARATED AND HE STATED THAT IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND USUALLY THE TWO AGENTS ARE SPREAD OUT WIDELY THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. I WENT BACK OUT TO THE DESK AND ASKED THE AGENT TO ASSIGN ALL THREE MEN TO ROW XX X; W; Y. SHE COMPLIED AND STATED THAT SOMEONE DOWNSTAIRS HAD ASSIGNED THE ORIGINAL SEATING ARRANGEMENT AND SHE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS NOT THE LOGICAL WAY TO DO IT. HALF WAY THROUGH BOARDING; THE NUMBER FOUR FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND SAID THAT THE PRISONER WAS NOT HANDCUFFED AND THAT SHE THOUGHT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I TOLD HER THAT THE AGENTS HAD TOLD ME THAT THE PRISONER WAS A DEPORTEE AND WAS A MINIMUM RISK INDIVIDUAL. I ALSO SAID THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IF HANDCUFFS WERE REQUIRED IN THIS SIT AND THAT THE AGENTS SHOULD FOLLOW THEIR PROCS. AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALTITUDE; I LOOKED IN THE FOM TO CHK AND SEE IF THERE WAS A REQUIREMENT FOR ALL THREE MEN TO BE SEATED IN THE SAME ROW WITH THE PRISONER IN THE MIDDLE. I FOUND NO REQUIREMENT. I DID SEE THAT ALL PRISONERS WERE REQUIRED TO BE HANDCUFFED. I THEN CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS ON THE INTERPHONE AND ASKED THEM TO CHK THE PRISONER TO SEE IF THE AGENTS HAD HANDCUFFED HIM. THEY STATED THAT THE PRISONER WAS WIDE AWAKE AND NOT HANDCUFFED AND THAT BOTH THE AGENTS WERE SLEEPING. I THEN INSTRUCTED THAT AN AGENT BE WOKEN UP AND TOLD TO HANDCUFF THE PRISONER. THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED BACK AND STATED THAT BOTH AGENTS SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY HANDCUFFS. I THEN INSTRUCTED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO GIVE AN AGENT HER PAIR OF FLEX CUFFS TO BE PLACED ON THE PRISONER. HE COMPLIED AND THE FLT ARRIVED IN CHICAGO WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACR PROVIDES INSTRUCTIONS FOR CARRIAGE OF ARMED PAX; BUT DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY INSTRUCTIONS WHEN A PRISONER IS BEING ESCORTED. THE RPTR DID NOT THINK THE INS OFFICERS ESCORTING THE PRISONER WERE DOING THE JOB SERIOUSLY. THE CAPT SAID THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE UPSET; AS THEY WERE ON THE FRONT LINES; AND ANY PROB WOULD LAND IN THEIR LAPS. HAVING AN OUT OF CONTROL PRISONER IS SOMETHING THEY ARE UNABLE TO COPE WITH.