	Juvenile Justice Corrections Services

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

JJC 14: Maintaining Safety and Security

The organization maintains a safe, secure environment where youth, personnel, and the public are protected from harm.

Note: ASE and BSM address additional practices that contribute to safety and security.

JJC 14.01

To promote safety within the facility, the organization considers youths’ age, size, gender, vulnerability to victimization, offense history, and ability to adjust to a group when making housing assignments.

JJC 14.02

When it is necessary to search youth, their rooms, or their property, trained personnel do so according to procedures that:

are consistent with applicable state and federal law;
define when there is reasonable cause to conduct a search;
minimize the invasiveness of the search;
respect youths’ dignity; and
establish a process and timetable for administrative review.

Interpretation: Organizations should conduct more invasive searches only when there is reason to do so, and demonstrate that these searches are: (1) conducted by qualified staff, and (2) accompanied by an increased level of administrative review.

JJC 14.03

The organization provides sufficient supervision to ensure the safety of youth, personnel, and the public at all times, and additional personnel are available in case of emergency.

Interpretation: Personnel-to-youth ratios should be based on youths’ risks and needs, but should generally not exceed 1:8 during the day, and 1:16 at night. On-duty personnel must be awake at all times, and at least two staff members should be on-duty at all times. Same-gender personnel should be available to provide supervision and services, as needed.

JJC 14.04

Organizations that lock youth in their rooms for routine purposes:

utilize this practice to maintain safety, order, and security, rather than for purposes of discipline, compliance, or convenience;
ensure that using this practice does not detract from the organization’s ability to create a culture that promotes respect, healing, and positive behavior; and
do not lock youth in their rooms for excessively long time periods.

Interpretation: As referenced in the Note to BSM, some organizations may lock youth in their rooms for routine purposes to maintain safety, security, and order. Although this practice does restrict freedom of movement, it differs from the types of restrictive interventions addressed in BSM insofar as it is utilized on a routine, ongoing basis, rather than in response to a specific incident. It may be appropriate to lock youth in their rooms during sleep, or for other defined, short periods of time; however, because the practice is restrictive in nature, youth should not be locked in their rooms for excessively long periods, and should spend most of their waking hours engaged in meaningful and developmentally-appropriate activities, as referenced in JJC 13.03.

NA The organization does not lock youth in their rooms for routine purposes, for example, during sleep periods.

JJC 14.05

To ensure youth safety in both emergency and non-emergency situations, organizations that lock youth in their rooms for routine purposes:

monitor youth while they are locked in their rooms;
ensure that rooms are free from safety risks and hazards;
provide access to food, water, and bathroom facilities, as needed;
establish safety protocols and procedures that include plans for the immediate release of youth from locked areas in case of emergency; and
train personnel and youth on emergency evacuation procedures.

Interpretation: Youth should be monitored at least every 15 minutes. If the organization uses a video camera to monitor youth, it should demonstrate that personnel are able to respond immediately if necessary. When youth are at risk for suicide or self-harm, monitoring should be face-to-face and continual.

Interpretation: As referenced in ASE 3, the organization should conform to all applicable safety codes, including fire codes.

NA The organization does not lock youth in their rooms for routine purposes, for example, during sleep periods.

JJC 14.06

Weapons are prohibited within the facility, and armed law enforcement officers are required to check weapons in a secure area.

Interpretation: If organizational policy allows armed law enforcement officers to enter the organization’s facilities, the organization should explain: (1) under what circumstances this practice is permitted (e.g., in emergency situations), and (2) how safety is ensured while the armed officers are on site.

JJC 14.07

When youth have opportunities to leave the facility or interact with the public, the organization maintains safety by:

defining when youth are eligible for the opportunity;
evaluating youth for eligibility and appropriateness; and
providing or arranging for sufficient support and supervision.

Interpretation: Relevant opportunities may include, but are not limited to: home visits, community service projects, work furloughs, meetings with mentors, and trial visits to community programs.

NA Youth do not have opportunities to leave the facility or interact with the public.

JJC 14.08

The organization appropriately and consistently documents, reviews, and reports incidents of youth noncompliance.

Interpretation: The organization should follow any applicable policies, procedures or other rules for reporting infractions to the court or public agency with jurisdiction over youth.

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	PURPOSE: Juvenile Justice Corrections Services promote public safety by helping youth overcome problems and develop the attitudes and skills needed to make responsible choices, avoid negative behaviors, and become productive, connected, and law-abiding citizens.

RELATED FILES


	SERVICE One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.


	CONNECTED The means by which individuals access services that may or may not be provided by the organization itself. These terms are used interchangeably when individuals are connected to services either directly or by referral. See also LINKED.


	PERSONNEL The body of employees and/or volunteers that carries out the organization's tasks under the organization's administration and/or supervision. This definition does not include foster parents who are specifically referenced in relevant standards


	PRACTICE Established actions or ways of proceeding in the regular performance of organizational duties. Policies and procedures often guide practice.


	SUPERVISION Assumption of responsibility for directly overseeing and evaluating the work or work products of personnel within an organization. Also includes inspecting the act or process of accomplishing a function or activity.


	CASE A general term used to designate clients (including individuals, families, and groups) served by an organization for purposes of monitoring the provision of services. A foster care case is generally based on the placement of an individual child, although casework for the child may include services to the child's family. A child protective services case is based on an entire family household if a family assessment model is used; otherwise a case is defined as a child.


	CULTURE The customs, habits, values, skills, technology, beliefs, and religious, social, and political behaviors of a group of people in a specific period of time.


	PROTOCOLS Instruments and procedures used to accomplish a particular goal, activity, or purpose.


	MONITORING An evaluation involving a periodic review of consumer services, organizational activities, or conduct. Specifically, monitoring is an activity of case coordination, whereas more broadly, monitoring is an evaluation technique used in overall quality assurance.


	ELIGIBILITY The degree to which an individual, family, group, or community meets the specific criteria and qualifications required to receive goods, benefits, or services.


	APPROPRIATENESS The degree to which a particular service, placement, treatment, intervention, or activity is: best suited to an individual's needs; not excessive, unduly intrusive, or restrictive; anticipated to be effective in achieving the desired and specified outcomes; and adequate or sufficient in quantity to address the problem.


	COMMUNITY A specific group of people living in the same locality and who may share a common culture, values, and norms. Communities can also be defined by race, religion, ethnicity, age, occupation, political status, tribal affiliation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other common bonds. The term "community" encompasses worksites, schools, tribes, residential neighborhoods, business districts, recreational areas, and health and human service sites.


	PROGRAM A system of services offered by an organization. For example, an organization providing a mental health service may offer several mental health programs to different populations, e.g., a mental health program for adolescent teens. The word "program" can be used interchangeably with the word "service" or to describe specific programs.


	PUBLIC AGENCY An agency under government auspices. A public agency is typically governed and operated by a public entity (e.g., a state, a county, or a department of the federal government. Public agencies seeking accreditation will utilize the Public version of COA's 8th Edition Standards, found at http://www.coastandards.org/standards.php?navView=public.