Loading...
JUVENILE INMATES D-120 FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TITLE: JUVENILE INMATES NO: D-120 FILE: JUVENILE INMATES EFFECTIVE DATE: 04-29-91 REVISED: 12-25-94, 08-03-95, 09-01-99, 11-01-12 AUTHORITY: Sheriff M. Mims APPROVED BY: Assistant Sheriff T. Gattie REFERENCE: Welfare and Institutions Code Sections 207.1 and 208; 42 U.S.C. 5601 (Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act); and California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Sections 1100 et seq. PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy is to establish a consistent method for handling inmates who are identified or suspected of being juveniles housed in the adult population. POLICY: It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriffs Office Jail Division thatjuveniles charged with a crime shall not be accepted for booking, fingerprinting, photographing, or housing by the Jail Division, except by order of the Juvenile Court, in agreement with the Sheriff. It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriffs Office Jail Division that when it is suspected that an inmate housed in the adult population is a juvenile, or when an inmate housed in the adult population claims to be a juvenile, an immediate investigation shall be conducted in order to substantiate the age of the inmate. It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriffs Office Jail Division that inmates who are housed in the adult population and later discovered to be juveniles shall be immediately isolated and provided with sight and sound separation from all adult inmates in custody. The arresting agency shall then be contacted to transport the juvenile inmate to the Juvenile Justice Campus. PROCEDURES: I. DEFINITION SIGHT AND SOUND CONTACT—means any physical or sustained sign or sound contact between juveniles in detention and incarcerated adults. Sight contact is clear visual contact between adult inmates and juveniles within close proximity to each other. Sound contact is direct oral communication between adult inmates and juvenile offenders. Page 1 of 3 FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TITLE: JUVENILE INMATES NO: D-120 FILE: JUVENILE INMATES II. JUVENILE INMATE PROCESSING Juveniles shall not knowingly be accepted or allowed into any jail facility for booking, fingerprinting, photographing, or housing, except by order of the Juvenile Court, in agreement with the Sheriff. III. INMATE HOUSED IN ADULT POPULATION SUSPECTED OF BEING A JUVENILE A. Whenever information is obtained which indicates that an inmate who is housed in the adult population may be a juvenile, the following shall occur: 1. The inmate shall be immediately isolated to a single cell in the booking area, kept under frequent observation and provided with sight and sound separation from all adult inmates pending the completion of the investigation into their correct age. 2. The Watch Commander shall be notified. 3. An investigation in order to establish the correct age of the inmate shall be initiated. 4. The investigation may include: a. Contacting relatives or friends of the inmate for information and/or documentation of their age. b. Reviewing any personal papers in the possession of the inmate at the time they were booked. c. Contacting Juvenile Hall for any arrest history. d. Reviewing criminal or motor vehicle records accessible to the Sheriffs Office. B. As determined by the Watch Commander, if it appears likely that the inmate is a juvenile, the arresting agency shall be contacted to transport the inmate to the Juvenile Justice Campus. C. If the inmate claims to be a juvenile but the investigation fails to verify the claim, the inmate shall remain isolated in a single cell and kept away from the adult inmate population until a final determination as to their age can be made by the Bureau Commander or their designee. Page 2 of 3 FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TITLE: JUVENILE INMATES NO: D-120 FILE: JUVENILE INMATES D. If the inmate does not claim to be a juvenile and the investigation fails to verify that they are in fact a juvenile, the inmate shall be treated as an adult. IV. LAWFUL DETENTION OF MINORS A. Minors lawfully held in an adult detention facility shall be subject to the regulations and statutes governing those facilities found in the Jail Minimum Standards (Title 15, Section 1000 et seq.) B. Minors shall be housed separately from adults and not be allowed to come or remain in contact with adults except during supervised group therapy or other supervised treatment activities. In situations where brief or accidental contact may occur (e.g., booking or facility movement), an officer shall maintain a constant side-by-side presence with the minor or adult to prevent sustained contact. C. Safety checks shall be performed no less than once every thirty (30) minutes on an irregular schedule. The safety checks shall include the direct visual observation of movement and/or skin. D. Minors requiring disciplinary confinement shall be housed only in living areas designated for the detention of minors. 1. Access to visitation and recreation shall be restricted only after a second level review by a supervisor, and shall not extend beyond five (5) days without subsequent review. 2. A status review shall be conducted no less than every twenty-four (24) hours. 3. The adult disciplinary isolation diet is prohibited as a disciplinary measure. E. Education programs (including health education and disease prevention) shall be provided as required by Education Code 48200. Page 3 of 3