Juvenile detention centers andthe juvenile care process aresometimes misunderstood byboth the public and law

enforcement. Mixing in the emotionsof upset, or even combative, parentsand guardians alters what seems astraightforward process into signifi-cant challenges for facility profession-als. To add to the confusion, it is notsurprising when the authority havingcustodial jurisdiction changes fromvenue to venue; it may be under thecourts, children and human services,health and human services, or some-times the sheriff. Regardless of thediffering jurisdictions, the facilitiesare common in structure, thoughchanging with time. A detention facili-ty is much smaller than a correctionalor jail facility, having fewer than 20 to30 occupants1 or generally havingfewer than 100 occupants for ashared county facility, as opposed toas many as 200 to 500 in a larger statecorrectional facility for sentencedjuvenile offenders.2 Depending onjurisdictional approaches and atti-tudes, these smaller institutions aregenerally called detention facilities, asopposed to youth facilities, trainingfacilities or youth correctional facili-ties.

Juvenile DetentionCenters and the Law

Correctional practitioners have aneven more definitive role in holdingjuvenile defendants since the juris-dictional and court requirements forprocessing youths is sometimesmore complex than that of adult pro-cessing. This is due to the optionsoffered to those under 18 who canbenefit from alternative court recom-mendations. The status of being ayouth presents challenges for evenpursuing detention. While infrequent,law enforcement sometimes per-ceives that the destruction of proper-ty warrants presenting a youth to ajuvenile detention facility. This is dueto greater emphasis on a “zero toler-ance policy” extending into lawenforcement. However, this generallyis not true. In many states, the facilitycan only turn law enforcement awaydue to the strict requirements ofhow, when and under what premise ayouth can be held.

The daily operations of juveniledetention centers are well-regulatedat the state and local levels. Forexample, Pennsylvania is primarilybased on the Pennsylvania Depart-ment of Public Welfare’s Title 55,

Chapter 3800 regulation. This regula-tion, enacted in October 1999, setsminimum-mandatory practice, proce-dure and facility accommodations forthe daily operation of detention cen-ters and the treatment of youthsdetained in Pennsylvania Countydetention centers.

Juvenile detention centers inPennsylvania are a temporary hold-ing facility for children who are adju-dicated of a felony; they are awaitingeither trial or placement in a pro-gram that will better handle theirindividual needs. The average lengthof stay for a youth at a Pennsylvaniajuvenile detention center is approxi-mately 17 days. This time will varyfrom case to case because juvenilesare charged with crimes that rangefrom terrorist threats to other vari-ous violent crimes. State facilities, orstate-monitored facilities, often han-dle the sentenced offender for longerperiods. This is true in New Jersey,Kentucky and Connecticut.

Similarities AndDifferences

In corrections terminology, a sen-tenced offender is often referred toas an inmate. In juvenile detention

facilities, the youths are referred toas residents, and may be sentenced,unsentenced or presented for protec-tive custody. The offenders them-selves present a diverse group andeffuse emotional overtones in civilsociety. Some of the authors’ person-al and most vivid differences arecharacterized by seeing a 14-year-olds’ outstretched fingers under acell door, perhaps looking for love,and a 4-foot, 9-year-old child in handand foot shackles after court trans-port due to risk of flight. Stories ofyoung males scaling perimeter fencesand bolting from custody are com-mon due to youth size, agility andenergy. Often, undisciplined or gang-aligned individuals make controlmore necessary and much more criti-cal for effective facility operation.

Day-to-Day OperationsThe day-to-day operation of a

detention center is dependent onseveral key areas. These range fromsecurity and control, education,health and staff development tointake and release. Each of theseareas provides the ways and meansfor juvenile detention centers tooperate within a scope of safety andreliability that ensure the well-beingof the juveniles, staff and surround-ing communities they serve.

The first area of operations issecurity and control. Within a juve-nile detention center, all facilityadmittance and egress should bemonitored and recorded for futureuse. Activities within the facilityshould be monitored and recorded24 hours a day. By doing so, not onlyis safety achieved, but the account-ability of staff is upheld. Inside therealm of security and control lies oneof the basic principles of state-man-dated regulations: staff-to-child ratio.In Pennsylvania, for example, thestaff ratio required for a detentioncenter is one detention officer to sixjuveniles during waking hours andone detention officer to 12 juvenilesduring sleeping hours. The staffingratio helps ensure the proper careand protection of the residents andstaff. Sometimes, resting or sleepingquarters are provided for the resi-dent counselor or night-shift officer.

Information, EducationAnd Medical Care

Information security plays a signif-icant role in the well-being of thejuveniles’ safety and security. Toensure complete confidentiality, noinformation may be given to the pub-lic over the phone, electronically orin person unless the individual isproperly identified as the juvenile’sparent, guardian or probation officer.The idea of information securityrelies heavily on securing the deten-tion center’s network from intrusion,as well as encrypting data so thatonly the appropriate parties mayaccess a juvenile’s records. Manyissues of information security can beavoided through proper staff train-ing. An educated staff is always thebest defense.

Another important area of interestin the operations of a juvenile deten-tion center is the education of thejuveniles. In Pennsylvania, juvenilesbeing held in a detention center arerequired to have 5.5 hours of educa-tion each day. This not only contin-ues the juveniles’ education, butallows them to be active during thedaytime hours. Educational require-ments within juvenile detention cen-ters are usually provided by the localschool district or contracted throughspecial services of an intermediateunit. The majority of the educationprovided within the centers is con-ducted by teachers with special edu-cation certificates who are betterequipped to handle the variety ofjuveniles admitted into the detentioncenters.

Educational spaces and indoorand outdoor recreational facilities allimpact design requirements, adjacen-cies and other program spaces. Theyalso may account for a large percent-age of floor space and real estate.

Common among the implementa-tion of many new state regulationsare requirements for health carewithin juvenile detention centers.Previously, some centers had a nurseavailable only a few times a week. InPennsylvania, detention centers arenow expected to provide 24-hournursing. This has not only enhancedthe care of the juveniles, but provideda long overdue need for accountabilitywithin the realm of their physical and

mental care as well. In addition, juve-niles being admitted to detentioncenters are now often receiving den-tal care, eye care and mental healthevaluations. This has led to animprovement in the quality of life forthe juveniles. These services offeredare often the only time some juvenilesmay have the opportunity to visit adentist or optometrist.

Thus, the same front-line care nowbeing afforded in adult county intakeis trickling down to the holistic med-ical approach afforded to the juve-nile. In fact, there should be fewexceptions among screening of adultsand juveniles upon intake. It is note-worthy to state that youth cases oftuberculosis and HIV are less sys-temic in the detention system com-pared with adult facilities; however,chronic medical conditions are lessand less the exception.

Aspects of chronic medical prob-lems also impact planning, designand operations. In their 2003 Correc-tions Today article titled “Identifica-tion and Management of ChronicMedical Problems in Juveniles,” JohnBradley and Eleanor M. Kalfs statedthat, “The elements of housing priori-tization of service delivery, long-termcare for chronic and recurring illness-es, behavior modification, crisis man-agement and continuity of care allmust be considered functional com-ponents of providing comprehensive,ongoing services during offenders’incarceration and upon their returnto the community.”

Management AndCritical Concerns

In the daily operation of a juveniledetention center, heavy dependenceis placed on the detention officerswho look after the juveniles in theircare. The training requirements forstaff, according to the American Cor-rectional Association’s Standards forJuvenile Correctional Facilities, mayinclude 40 hours of annual training,first aid/CPR, fire safety, crisis inter-vention, procedures and regulations,and any other training required bythe individual center. To promote abest practice model and increase theminimum standards of care, the Juve-nile Detention Centers Association ofPennsylvania is looking to provide an

academy model of training for newand existing staff. This will hopefullylead to a state-recognized certifica-tion for its detention offices.

The largest challenge to operatinga juvenile detention center is identi-cal to the adult system: crowding.Though regulations govern crowdingissues, detention centers are oftencrowded because of a lack of alterna-tive means of housing the juvenileoffenders. Many jurisdictions havecontingency plans with private orga-nizations that will take juveniles fromcrowded facilities and house themtemporarily. However, this createsstrains on the court system and thejuveniles’ families who must thentravel greater distances to eithertransport the juvenile or visit him orher.

If one consideration should bemade when constructing a new juve-nile detention center, it should be tounderstand the growing populationand crime rate of the area where thedetention center will be located. Justas in adult corrections, it is seldom aproblem to have too many beds forthe juvenile population, but it isalways a problem to have too few.

Mental Health AndImpact to the Facility

The national trend of increasedmental health service requirementshas threatened the stability and dailyoperations of juvenile detention cen-ters across the United States. Thetrend has been a rapid rise in juve-niles requiring specialized services tohelp combat an uphill battle. Thisbattle is currently being foughtacross the nation using staff who donot have proper training or the prop-er educational background. Due tothis ongoing battle, detention centersare being crowded with juvenileswho cannot receive the appropriatecare they require while in the sys-tem’s jurisdiction.

In recent years, programs havebeen made available to help educatethe courts about the increasing juve-nile mental health problems. Onesuch program is the National YouthScreening Assistance Project(NYSAP). A search of the University ofMassachusetts Medical School Website offers: “NYSAP was developed as

part of a broader initiative of theMacArthur Foundation aimed atimproving the identification of juve-nile justice youths with potentialmental health needs and increasingthe delivery of appropriate servicesto those youths. The use of a stan-dardized tool across a large numberof programs nationwide will have sig-nificant benefits not only to individ-ual youths and programs, but also inhelping to learn about the extent ofneed nationally.”3

Through NYSAP, Thomas Grissodeveloped a screening mechanismcalled the Massachusetts YouthScreening Instrument-Version 2(MAYSI-2). This tool is currently

being employed at more than 536facilities throughout the UnitedStates and abroad, and has beenadopted by 35 states across thecountry to help understand theincreasing need for mental health ser-vices in a juvenile detention setting.The MAYSI-2 comprises 52 questionsthat screen juveniles for mentalhealth problems upon entrance intoa detention center. This tool hasalready been used in showing therelationship between youth mentalhealth problems and youths who alsoare committed longer to detentioncenters. However, the main purposeof the MAYSI-2 is to help detentioncenter staff identify juveniles whohave an elevated need for mentalhealth services.

The Youth Assessment andScreening Instrument4 provides anassessment and case planning

approach for juvenile centers. It pro-vides a balanced, nonprejudicialassessment, if answered with super-vised accuracy, to match the subjectto necessary housing and treatmentneeds. Placement within the facilityand its available accommodationscannot be separated. Not all facilitiescan offer or are appropriate for alloffenders in all circumstances. Thoseindividuals needing different servicesshould be placed in other appropri-ate settings as soon as possible.

Impact of Planning And Design

As with all specialized detentionfacilities, an architectural planningpractitioner, having extensive experi-ence in juvenile detention facilities, isrequired. The practitioner works intandem with a seasoned juvenileplanner to prepare an architecturalprogram. The plan must provideestablishment of statistics for thecounty or jurisdiction for populationgrowth, expansion and all programneeds.

These practitioners will take spe-cial care in providing input for intake,medical, interviewing spaces, coun-seling, classification, education, dayspace, sleep space, recreation, hear-ings and release, among otheraspects.

While the architectural and engi-neering design team contributes sig-nificant and critical design input,both must have specific experiencein corrections and detention. These

118 — April 2005 Corrections Today

Planning and designing a juvenile detention center, such asthe Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center (above,right), requires a seasoned juvenile planner to prepare anarchitectural program specific to the needs of these uniquefacilities and their young population.

Phot

os b

y To

m P

ilson

design professionals must be familiarwith hollow metal doors and the loca-tion of secure door opening place-ment. The secure environmentrequires a much different thoughtprocess for architectural openings.This necessitates moving away fromeven the strongest storefront alu-minum frame or solid wood doors;instead, rely on specialty manufactur-ers that design safe and secure open-ings for detention spaces.

Engineering experience in deten-tion/corrections-type environmentsincludes control of moisture formetal and electric locking devices,which are more prone to rusting withtheir integrated mechanical locksets,fire protection in ductwork to miti-gate the circumstances under whichjuveniles may try to ignite flammablesources, noise control and special-ized mechanical spaces and services.Critical electrical systems are alsorequired since custody is a 24-hourservice.

Security and SafetySecurity takes place upon intake

and holding, through visitation andhearings, and externally for trans-portation and release. These are criti-cal junctures of maintaining custodyand control of a juvenile who is moreapt to think less about the repercus-sions of escape than an older adult.Physical security is accommodatedwith the use of security walls andpanels, security ceilings, hollowmetal openings and polycarbonateglazing to provide a higher degree ofsafety and security throughout thefacility. In fact, this is far more impor-tant in juvenile facilities since youthsare known to have frequent alterca-tions and may possess the strengthto shatter glass by throwing anotherresident in an aggressive and pur-poseful manner.

Segmentation of floor spacedesign is critical. Corridor design isimportant to provide plenty of space,sometimes two to three times the

typical width, to permit ease of pass-ing of different residents who may beheld for the same reason.

Suicide prevention and violenceprevention are equally important fac-tors in a detention facility. Theabsolute requirements for suicide-proofing sleeping quarters and otherprogram spaces during periods ofindirect supervision are important.As in adult facilities, juveniles facehigh social pressure, and especiallypressure from the family, which candrive the individual toward a nega-tive emotional turning point. The lessthe individual weighs, the more likelya lightweight instrument or devicewill enable the individual to accom-plish an unfortunate goal.

While prevention is often bothoperational and physical, decreasingthe opportunity for two gangs to bein the same corridor or gymnasiumgoes a long way. In all confinedspaces, increased measures of aphysical nature are often taken intoaccount by the architect.

The cell is often not used duringthe day except for special offenders.In fact, the rooms that house the indi-viduals often are not referred to as acell but as a bedroom. Putting youthsin cells is an extreme event with fewindividuals being physically incarcer-ated during the day. Individuals withextreme criminal challenges andpotential for violent outbreaks, orthose under protective custody, mustbe cared for in exceptional ways.

Safety of residents, staff and vol-unteers is, of course, paramount forany detention facility. But in juvenilefacilities, especially in sleeping quar-ters, when residents are alone andpossibly confined and depressed,safety though suicide prevention istaken very seriously. Suicide proofingsprinklers; heating, ventilation andair conditioning grills; and groomingand cleaning facilities requiresdetailed patience during planningand shakedown. Consideration mustalways be given to the possibility ofmaterial being threaded around

equipment by a resident attemptingsuicide. This thought process ofdesign requirements must start veryearly in the process; after construc-tion award is too late.

Perimeter considerations, a requi-site in approximately one-third of thefacilities throughout the UnitedStates, require a fencing system toprevent escape. Razor ribbon or con-certina tape is often not allowed indetention facilities because of thepossibility of severe injury to veryagile youths, while fencing is often ofa lower profile type. Perimeter detec-tion, sometimes with fence detection,is often provided with closed-circuittelevision surveillance. Main andemergency sally ports are critical.The main sally port is necessarybecause of the opportunity for ayoung individual to escape duringbeginning and end of transport to avehicle. The emergency sally portmay provide an opportunity for secondary access for offloading ofheating fuel, food supplies and otherperishables, or furnishing equipment.

The planning for adequate out-door lighting, as well as an externalintercom for entry of social workersand the counselors who work at thefacility, is essential for the security ofall personnel, staff, residents and out-side visitors.

TechnologyDigital surveillance through

closed-circuit television systems is atool that is used today to documentand verify not only secure care, butcircumstances surrounding incidentsand the conduct of staff. Detentionsystems using advanced monitoringelectronics, such as programmablelogic controls, are now common injuvenile detention facilities. Inter-coms are often provided in the cellsfor calls by residents.

Smoke and fire detection systemsand their required alarm devices fallunder the same categories underInternational Building Code 2003 for

April 2005 Corrections Today — 119

If one consideration should be made when constructing a new juveniledetention center, it should be to understand the growing population

and crime rate of the area where the detention center will be located.

I-3 Classification. Sounding devicesmay not be provided in the housingunits, but should be provided inthose locations where 24-hour moni-toring is afforded. This provides formaximum control and release undersupervised conditions if an eventshould occur.

Duress alarms should always beprovided in interview rooms andespecially in educational and otherareas where incidents may occur.More institutions are opting for wire-less duress, though the difference inprice between a combination wiredand infrared device versus a pureradio frequency system are widelydivergent and require understandingby professionals in the field to con-trol cost and offer expected coveragesolutions.

More often than not, control sys-tems now include master controlwith touch-screen or graphic control,as well as limited subcontrol. Thesophistication of these controls andsystems allow for fire safety to meetthe most stringent code require-ments and procedures for the facility.Card-access-based control systemsand simple security systems are com-pletely inadequate to provide thiscritical functionality. Customizedsoftware with touch control, pro-grammable logic control, and otherindustrial-control, logic-based, relaysystems, are mandatory.

Automated access control issometimes provided in juveniledetention and may even provideaccess to the holding rooms. By hav-ing an audit trail, this can determinewhich counselor/officer went in, andat what time, and presents a function-al log for the reasons of entry. Bio-

metrics, including access, time andattendance, and correctional officeror counselor tour duties is oftenimbedded within the systems for acomplete staff-managed system forthe facility.

Information and communicationsystems in these facilities nowrequire more sophisticated networks,distance learning for education,remote video conferencing for man-dated hearings and sophisticatedmanagement software for operations.

Documentation AndTraining

Like any adult facility, policy, pro-cedure, training and post orders arenecessary for juvenile detention facil-ities. Many facilities have excellentdocumentation regarding the small-est policy and situation that maydevelop. It is not infrequent that fourvolumes, one for each item, are pro-vided to the agency for reference andupdating, and of course, training thecounselors, officers and staff. Thesedocuments must pass stringent proofof care and regulation conformanceunder courts’ review.

The Juvenile DetentionFacility of the Future

The juvenile detention facility ofthe future has remarkable require-ments related to the type of offender,the youth, the sophistication andexpectations of the youth, and thelegal challenges that are presented tothe facility. These challenges to thefacility need to augment and providethe necessary input to the special-

ized consultant, architect and engi-neer who will need to plan, designand integrate with the operationsrequired of the facility.

While the standards promoted byACA for juvenile facilities have notchanged since 1991, the sensitivitiesfor promoting a safer, more holisticenvironment, including mental andphysical conditions, make the plan-ning, design, engineering and efficientoccupancy of the facility as critical asany adult facility.

ENDNOTES1American Correctional Association. 1991.Standards for small juvenile detentionfacilities. Laurel, Md.: American Correc-tional Association.

2 American Correctional Association.1991. Standards for juvenile correctionalfacilities, third edition. Laurel, Md.: Ameri-can Correctional Association.

3 University of Massachusetts NationalYouth Screening Assistance Project.Implementation of the MAYSI-2. Availableat www. umassmed.edu/nysap/maysi2/implementation.cfm.

4 Youth Assessment and Screening Instru-ment (YASI), Orbis Partners Inc.

Thomas Pilson is coordinator of infor-mation systems and security at theDelaware County Juvenile DetentionCenter in Pennsylvania. He may bereached at pilsont@co.delaware.pa. us.Jerry Forstater is a senior detention con-sultant and a professional engineer reg-istered in more than a dozen states withProfessional Systems Engineering Con-sulting and Design Services inHarleysville, Pa. He may be reached atjif@profsy seng.com.