Section 201.51.20. Nonsecure holds for juveniles.  


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  •        51.20(1) Standards for nonsecure hold areas. The area to be used to detain the juvenile must be an unlocked area such as a lobby, office or other open room. Additionally, the following minimum procedures must be followed:

            a.           The juvenile is not physically secured to any stationary object.

            b.           The juvenile is under continuous visual supervision.

            c.           The juvenile has access to bathroom facilities.

            d.           A meal or meals shall be provided at usual mealtimes.

           51.20(2) Supervision of juveniles in nonsecure hold. Juveniles in nonsecure hold status (see Iowa Code sections 232.19(2) and 232.22(2)) shall have continuous visual supervision by a qualified adult. The holding facility administrator may contract with an outside agency to perform supervisory functions. Persons performing juvenile supervisory functions must:

            a.           Be at least 18 years of age.

            b.           Have received a physical prior to employment.

            c.           Perform at a staff-to-detainee ratio that will ensure a safe environment for both the juvenile(s) and the staff.

            d.           Report any knowledge of child abuse to mandatory child abuse reporters.

            e.           Have successfully completed a child abuse and criminal background check.

           51.20(3) Prohibited acts. Each nonsecure site must develop a policy of posted orders which protects juveniles against neglect; exploitation; and degrading punishment such as corporal punishment, verbal abuse, threats, or derogatory remarks about the juvenile or the juvenile’s family; binding or tying to restrict movement; enclosing the juvenile in a confined space such as a closet, locked room, or similar cubicle; and deprivation of meals.

           51.20(4) Attendant nonsecure area operating procedures.

            a.           Attendant shall make certain the juvenile is aware of the policies of the nonsecure holding area.

            b.           The personal effects of the juvenile shall be placed in a safe, secure place. A property receipt shall be issued to the juvenile.

            c.           All items given to the juvenile are subject to being searched.

            d.           Attendant shall pat search the juvenile.

           51.20(5) Care and treatment.

            a.           Medical.

           (1)             No juvenile shall be held who is obviously injured, is obviously physically or mentally ill or, in the judgment of the arresting officer, is under the influence of drugs or intoxicated from the use of alcohol to the point of needing medical attention without first being examined by a medical practitioner.

           (2)             In an emergency situation or when the juvenile is suffering severe pain or is in danger of loss of life or permanent injury, medical treatment may be administered without parental consent. When none of the above situations exist, parental consent or judicial concurrence must be made before providing medical treatment.

           (3)             Juveniles suspected of having a contagious or communicable disease shall be isolated from other juveniles.

           (4)             There shall be at least one person on duty in the facility containing the nonsecure room who is trained in multimedia first aid and CPR.

           (5)             First-aid kits shall be immediately available.

           (6)             Any person providing medication shall be trained in the procedure of providing medication.

           (7)             As part of the admission procedure, a medical history intake form shall be completed. As part of this procedure, an attempt will be made to determine if the juvenile is suicidal by observing behavior and looking for marks or scars which would indicate previous suicide attempts.

           (8)             There shall be written policies or procedures pertaining to providing medication.

           (9)             All medication shall be stored according to state pharmaceutical standards and written inventory control maintained. The inventory shall include the starting number of pills, when pills were provided and by whom, the remaining number of pills at the time the juvenile left the facility, the disposition of the remaining pills, and a staff witness to the disposition of the pills.

           (10)           Special diets as prescribed by a physician shall be followed and documented.

           (11)           When a special diet is required for an individual due to a bona fide religious belief, the facility shall meet that need.

            b.           Communications.

           (1)             Juveniles shall be permitted, at no charge, telephone access to their family or an attorney, or both, without unnecessary delay after being taken into custody. Once family or attorney has been contacted, the number of additional calls, if any, will be determined by attendant.

           (2)             Attorneys and ministers shall be permitted to visit upon request when such visiting will not disrupt security or daily routines of the facility. Determination of additional visits shall be made by attendant.

            c.           Safety and sanitation.

           (1)             Walls, floors, and ceiling shall be well maintained.

           (2)             Facility shall be maintained in a pest-free condition.

           (3)             Clean bedding, including sheets, blankets, and pillowcases, shall be issued to each juvenile who wishes to sleep between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.

           (4)             Soiled clothing which may affect the health of the juvenile shall be exchanged for clean, facility-provided clothing.

           (5)             An emergency evacuation plan must be conspicuously posted.

           (6)             There shall not be less than one AA-ABC fire extinguisher in operable condition for each 3,000 square feet of facility on any given floor of the building.

           (7)             All exits shall be equipped with independent emergency lighting.

           (8)             Where exits are not immediately accessible from an open floor area, safe and continuous passage aisles or corridors leading directly to every exit shall be maintained and shall be so arranged as to provide access for each juvenile to at least two separate and distinct exits from each floor. A locked exit may be classified as an emergency exit only if necessary keys to locked doors are on the person of the attendant. Elevators shall not be counted as required exits.

           (9)             A means of fire detection utilizing equipment of a type tested and approved by Underwriters Laboratories shall be installed and maintained in operational condition according to the factory manual. These alarms shall be ceiling-mounted and of such construction to continue in operation during power failure. Alarms shall be tested on at least a monthly basis. Such test shall be documented.

           (10)           Only fire-resistant mattresses and pillows approved by the state fire marshal’s office shall be used.

            d.           Staff training requirements.

           (1)             Attendants shall be knowledgeable of facility policies and procedures pertaining to juvenile nonsecure holds, and acknowledgment of this shall be made by attendant’s dated signature.

           (2)             Nonsecure hold attendants shall have received instruction in the following areas prior to supervising juveniles in a nonsecure holding area:

            1.            Role of nonsecure hold attendant.

            2.            Confidentiality issues.

            3.            Intake procedures—medical and suicide screening.

            4.            Communication and listening skills.

            5.            Dealing with a depressed or suicidal juvenile.

            6.            Overview of state and federal law.

            7.            Provision of medication.

            8.            Gentle self-defense.

            9.            Child abuse identification.

            e.           Juvenile supervision.

           (1)             An attendant shall be in the presence of all juveniles held at all times. Same-sex attendant or staff shall be present when juveniles perform bodily functions/shower.

           (2)             A log shall be maintained at half-hour intervals reflecting the juvenile’s activities and behavior.

            f.            Records. The following records shall be maintained by the facility for a period of at least two years:

           (1)             Medical history intake form.

           (2)             Records of medical care.

           (3)             Injury reports.

           (4)             Food served.

           (5)             Records of staff training.

           (6)             Disposition of medication.

           (7)             Individual log.

           (8)             Any use of force reports.

           (9)             Any suicide or suicide attempts reports.

            g.           Incident reports. Reports of the following incidents shall be sent to the state jail inspection unit, department of corrections, within 24 hours of incident:

           (1)             Any injury to juvenile or staff that requires medical attention.

           (2)             Any use of force by staff.

           (3)             Any attempted suicide.

    The state jail inspection unit, department of corrections, shall be notified within five hours of any successful juvenile suicide that occurred in a nonsecure hold area.

           51.20(6) Exemption from nonsecure hold standards. Any requests for exemption from nonsecure hold standards shall be submitted according to the provisions under 201—Chapter 7, Iowa Administrative Code.