5.8 Room Confinement pursuant to Section 1354.5 and WIC 208.3

Chapter 5
Section 5.8
Subject Room Confinement pursuant to Section 1354.5 and WIC 208.3
Effective Date 12/4/2023 12:00 AM
  1.  “Room confinement” means the placement of a youth in a locked sleeping room with minimal or no contact with persons other than correctional facility staff and attorneys. Room confinement does not include confinement of a minor or ward in a locked single-person room or cell for a brief period lasting no longer than two hours when it is necessary for required institutional operations.
  2. This section does not apply:
    1. during normal sleeping hours. (2200-0700)
    2. to youth in court holding facilities.
    3. during an extraordinary, emergency circumstance that requires a significant departure from normal institutional operations, including a natural disaster or facility-wide threat that poses an imminent and substantial risk of harm to multiple staff, and youth. This exception shall apply for the shortest amount of time needed to address the imminent and substantial risk of harm.
    4. when a youth is placed in a locked cell or sleep room to treat and protect against the spread of a communicable disease for the shortest amount of time required to reduce the risk of infection, with the written approval of a licensed physician or nurse practitioner, when the youth is not required to be in an infirmary for an illness. 
    5. when a youth is placed in a locked cell or sleep room for required extended care after medical treatment with the written approval of a licensed physician or nurse practitioner.
  3. The placement of a youth in room confinement shall be   accomplished in accordance with the following guidelines:
    1. Room confinement shall not be used before other less restrictive options have been attempted and exhausted, unless attempting those options poses a threat to the safety or security of any youth or staff.
    2. Room confinement shall not be used for the purposes of punishment, coercion, convenience, or retaliation by staff. 
    3. Room confinement shall not be used to the extent that it compromises the mental and physical health of the youth.
    4. A Room Confinement Incident Report shall be written for behavior causing a threat to the safety or security of any youth or staff. 
    5. A Room Confinement Progress Sheet (AKA: Salmon Sheet) shall be started at the time room confinement begins.
      1. Youth who are on room confinement will have their behavior documented every hour.  The JSO who is documenting the youth’s behavior will update the JSO III within one hour of room confinement.  
      2. Youth who are on room confinement will meet with Behavioral Health immediately, or as soon as reasonably possible.
    6. If an officer believes at any time a youth can be cleared from Room Confinement, the officer shall notify the JSO III or on duty SDPO for consideration.
    7. A youth on room confinement shall have their behavior assessed 2 times during a period of 4 waking hours by a JSO III or a SDPO, (0700-2200).
      1.   The JSO III will document a summary of the assessment of the youth’s behavior in the Incident Report document. 
      2. An assessment will involve a face to face conversation with the youth, evaluating their ability to safely return to programing.
    8. If determined to be safe, the youth is to be returned to the general population.
    9. If youth cannot safely return to programming, factors justifying continued room confinement must be documented.
    10. Youth confined shall be provided reasonable access to toilets at all hours, including normal sleeping hours.
  4. A youth may be held up to four hours in room confinement.  If room confinement must be extended beyond four hours, staff shall do the following:
    1. Obtain documented authorization from SDPO or CDPO, or on-call SDPO.
    2. Document the reason for room confinement and the basis for the extension, the date and time the youth was first placed in room confinement, and when he or she is eventually released from room confinement.
    3. Develop an individualized reintegration plan in collaboration with Behavioral Health, a SDPO, or the youths DPO that includes the goals and objectives to be met in order to reintegrate the youth into general population.
    4. Continue assessing youth every 2 waking hours by a JSO III or SDPO, explaining what factors justify the extension of room confinement. 
    5. Obtain documented authorization by the facility superintendent or a SDPO every two hours thereafter.
    6. If no SDPO or CDPO is in building the on-call SDPO must be contacted.