(a) The Department shall adopt regulations that set standards for juvenile detention facilities operated by the Department and by private agencies under contract with the Department.
(b) The standards shall reflect the following central purposes of juvenile detention:
(1) to protect the public;
(2) to provide a safe, humane, and caring environment for children; and
(3) to provide access to required services for children.
(c) The standards shall include provisions establishing:
(1) a policy that eliminates the unnecessary use of detention and that prioritizes diversion and appropriate nonsecure alternatives;
(2) criteria for the placement of a child in a particular juvenile detention facility;
(3) population limits for each juvenile detention facility that may not be exceeded except in emergency circumstances;
(4) a requirement that staffing ratios and levels of services be maintained during emergencies;
(5) specifications for the architectural structure of a juvenile detention facility;
(6) staff qualifications and training, including training in recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect;
(7) the ratio of staff to children in a juvenile detention facility;
(8) the rights of children in a juvenile detention facility, including the right to privacy, visitors, telephone use, and mail delivery;
(9) prohibitions against the use of excessive force against a child;
(10) internal auditing and monitoring of programs and facilities in the juvenile services system; and
(11) prohibitions against the use of physical restraints on an individual known to be in the third trimester of pregnancy or during labor, delivery, or postpartum recovery, including during all transports, unless a facility superintendent or the facility superintendent’s designee determines that a physical restraint is necessary to protect the individual from harming herself or others or to prevent the individual’s escape from custody.
(d) The standards shall be consistent with this title and Title 3, Subtitle 8A of the Courts Article.
Copyright ©2024 LegalFix. All rights reserved. LegalFix is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and does not provide legal advice, services, or representation. The information on this website is an overview of the legal plans you can purchase—or that may be provided by your employer as an employee benefit or by your credit union or other membership group as a membership benefit.
LegalFix provides its members with easy access to affordable legal services through a network of independent law firms. LegalFix, its corporate entity, and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors do not provide legal advice, services, or representation—directly or indirectly.
The articles and information on the site are not legal advice and should not be relied upon—they are for information purposes only. You should become a LegalFix member to get legal services from one of our network law firms.
You should not disclose confidential or potentially incriminating information to LegalFix—you should only communicate such information to your network law firm.
The benefits and legal services described in the LegalFix legal plans are not always available in all states or with all plans. See the legal plan Benefit Overview and the more comprehensive legal plan contract during checkout for coverage details in your state.
Use of this website, the purchase of legal plans, and access to the LegalFix networks of law firms are subject to the LegalFix Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.