NCJ Number
101573
Date Published
1985
Length
26 pages
Annotation
To examine the characteristics and methods of staff-secure juvenile detention facilities, interviews were conducted in 1985 with juvenile justice experts and with directors, staff, and residents at 24 staff-secure facilities in 10 States.
Abstract
'Staff secure' was defined as around-the-clock supervision by trained staff, as opposed to the use of architectural restraints. Of these facilities, 14 were custodial and 10 were treatment facilities. Twelve housed juvenile delinquents, status offenders, and nonoffenders; 8 housed delinquents and status offenders; 2 housed delinquents only; and 2 housed status offenders only. Referrals came from police, courts, State agencies, parents, and the juveniles themselves. Directors of 15 facilities said they did not allow use of any physical restraint to prevent residents from leaving; 19 facilities had neither locks nor bars on doors and windows. Runaway rates in facilities offering no physical restraints were under 10 percent in six facilities and above 10 percent in four. All facilities had various methods to ensure that juveniles were not abused by staff or other juveniles. These included incident reporting, monitoring, and State inspection. Stays ranged from a minimum of half an hour to 2 years. Officials at facilities reported both advantages and disadvantages of the staff-secure concept associated with costs and program flexibility. Tabular data.