NCJ Number
75582
Date Published
1969
Length
40 pages
Annotation
This manual presents guidelines for use by State inspectors of California's juvenile detention facilities in assessing a facility's physical structure, administration, staffing, admission procedures, and inmate programs.
Abstract
In 1955, the California legislature first directed the Department of Youth Authority (DYA) to establish standards for juvenile hall operations to serve as guideposts for local jurisdictions. Although standards were revised in 1965, this booklet was prepared in response to 1968 amendments of the State welfare and institutions code which mandated that the DYA conduct annual inspections of all juvenile halls. A general discussion of the juvenile halls' purpose emphasizes that while their primary objective is to provide temporary secure care for minors, they should include school programs and counseling. Following a summary of factors to be considered when planning a juvenile hall, legal requirements and DYA standards are outlined for buildings and grounds. Building safety, sanitation, fire safety, and minimum spaces required for classroom, living units, dining areas, and activity rooms are covered. Legal provisions and standards are then described for the administrative structure and personnel, including staff-child ratios. Inservice training and qualifications for specific positions are recommended. The final sections detail intake and release criteria as well as types of programs that the juvenile hall should offer. Because the detention facility is involved only with emergency care and treatment, these standards concern the issuing of clothes, bedding, and personal hygiene articles; counseling to assist with the immediate problems of detention; medical services if needed; nonpunitive measures to control behavior; academic and recreation programs; and food, laundry, visiting, and correspondence.