JDC

Yazoo City – MS

POSITIVE BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

The Yazoo County Juvenile Detention Center shall maintain a Behavior Management Program for students based on positive interventions and graduated sanctions. The Behavior Management Program shall emphasize positive reinforcement. The system provides incentives and extended privileges to students based on points earned throughout the week for demonstrating the facility-wide behavioral expectations . Disciplinary sanctions shall be based on a continuum that goes from loss of privileges to room confinement.

Use of disciplinary room confinement or isolation of a student at the Yazoo County Juvenile Detention Center may only be used in situations where less extreme measures have been attempted unsuccessfully or where the seriousness of the rule violation requires confinement. Pod confinement should be for the briefest time possible for the student to resume control of his or her behavior and should not exceed 8 hours. A student who poses an immediate serious threat of bodily injury to others may not be confined for more than 12 hours without administrative approval. Students who violate major rules may be subject to room pod confinement for no longer than 24 hours for a single rule violation. Students who are confined to their pods shall be released from their pod daily to attend school (class location to be determined based on conduct), maintain appropriate personal hygiene, and to engage in one hour of large muscle exercise. Participation in school and exercise may be in an area separate from the general population as the offense is deemed necessary.

DEFINTIONS

Emergency Behavior Management Confinement (EBMC): A “cooling off” period for students where placement of a student in a pod for the purposes of controlling or avoiding out of control behavior, restoring order, correcting undesirable behavior, and to achieve compliance with behavioral rules and expectations.

Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP): Mental health care provider licensed and sufficiently trained to provide the necessary mental health program services.

PROCEDURES

Student will be advised by the Booking Officer during admission process regarding current rules and regulations and their legal/constitutional rights and responsibilities to participate in facility programs and the privilege of participating in certain services offered by the facility depending on their behavior. In addition to the admission process, detention staff shall provide regular reminders of the facility’s major and minor rules, the behavior management point system and the student’s rights and responsibilities. Rules shall be posted visibly in all units.

BEHAVIOR POINT SYSTEM

Each student will be advised how the Behavioral Incentive Program operates. Each student will be assessed points by staff members on the 1^st and 2^nd shifts. The staff members will assess detainees from 0 to 4 points in each category. These accumulated points will allow each detainee that has achieved the required points the opportunity to receive incentives and extended privileges. A list of possible incentives a student can receive in exchange for points shall be maintained by the Administrator. Students displaying negative behavior will not be eligible for points.

RATING SCALE 0 TO 4

Non-compliant – 0

The student failed to demonstrate any of the expected behavior for the specific category.

Minimum Compliance – 1

The student demonstrated minimum performance for the specific category.

Partial Compliance – 2

The student partially meets the standard for the specified category.

Full Compliance – 3

The student exceeds the expected behavior for the specified category.

Outstanding – 4

The student consistently exceeds the expected behavior on a daily basis.

It shall be the responsibility of the Floor Jailor [SM1] to document the weekly point totals on the Behavior Point sheet every Sunday by 8 pm. Rewards for positive behavior will be determined by the Administrative staff and shall be given to eligible students each Monday during day shift [SM2] .

The Behaviors for assessments are:

Maintain Good Hygiene

This includes taking showers in a timely manner, washing with soap, brushing teeth, applying deodorant, combing hair and maintaining a neat appearance throughout the entire day. It also involves taking proper care of clothing issued to student on a daily basis (for example: no torn or missing clothing, no graffiti on clothing, bed linens, or flip flops).

Complete Housekeeping Chores

This includes correctly performing all assigned housekeeping duties such as:

making the bed each morning, sweeping and mopping floors when required, wiping of dayroom tables after each meal, depositing trash in trash cans immediately after meals.

School / Recreation Activities

This includes completing schoolwork, following directions and demonstrating a positive attitude and respecting education staff.

Following Rules

This includes following all rules and directions given by staff.

Demonstrating Positive Attitude

This includes reacting and responding to peers and staff with respect and accepting redirection without negative comments or actions.

Appropriate Mealtime behavior

This includes remaining seated at the table, speaking in a moderate tone of voice to the people at the table, using all food condiments and utensils properly.

Exchanging or taking of another student’s food is prohibited

Appropriate Use of Leisure Time

This includes participation in all activities with positive, non-disruptive behavior as part of the group or individually, such as displaying good sportsmanship and proper use of recreational equipment.

EMERGENCY BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT CONFINEMENT

A student may be placed in BMC when circumstances warrant removing the student from general population. A students stay in BMC shall last only until the student has regained self-control and can be safely returned to the general population. When a student’s behavior poses a threat of bodily harm to others the student may be confined to his or her pod or moved to an Isolation pod for no longer than 12 hours without administrative approval. If the student is an imminent danger to self, the student shall be placed on suicide watch and the appropriate mental health provider contacted for assessment. Students who violate major rules may be subject to confinement for up to 24 hours for a single rule violation. When there is a major rule violation or minor rule violation that continuously disrupt the operations of the facility the Administrator or Director shall determine the length of confinement and other sanctions that may be imposed.

Verbal de-escalation techniques shall be utilized in an effort to avoid placement in BMC. Preventative actions shall be documented in the control room logbook as well as the completion of an Incident Report. Staff shall forward the report to the administrative staff as soon as possible but no later than the end of his / her shift.
If verbal de-escalation is ineffective, the detention officer shall explain to the student the consequence of losing his / her privileges / points if the behavior is not immediately corrected.
If the student fails to regain self control after the explanation of the loss of privileges, the student shall be placed in his / her pod for a “cooling off” period for at least 15 minutes or until the student has regained control. Staff shall explain to the student the reason for pod confinement and that he/she will be released from BMC upon regaining control. (Use of force shall be a last resort and only the minimum force necessary shall be used to place the student in the pod.)
When the detainee regains control of him/herself, the student may be released from BMC.
Students who are placed on BMC shall be allowed to attend school (location of classroom will be determined by administrative staff) maintain appropriate personal hygiene and engage in at least one hour of large muscle exercise (which may be separate from general population).
All staff involved in the incident requiring BMC placement shall complete an Incident Report documenting the behavior and the steps taken.

HOUSING DURING BMC

BMC placement may take place in the student’s individual pod , in an Isolation pod on the Unit floor [SM3] or in pods 141 or 142, depending on the individual circumstances of the situation.

The student and the pod used for BMC should be searched before the student is secured.
The administrator or director shall review the placement and ensure the student knows why he/she is being isolated and communicate to the student the length of time he/she will spend in BMC.

Only 1 student shall be placed in a particular pod at a time.

DOCUMENTATION OF CONFINEMENT

Incident Reports

All staff involved in the incident shall complete an incident report. Separate incident reports are important to get the perspectives of all staff participants, which will help the administrative staff make decisions during the review process.

Constant Watch documentation

Routine written and physical observation shall be documented by both the unit / floor staff and the control room staff to monitor the student’s behavior, and identify when the student has regained control of their behavior, as well as make sure the student is safe. Documentation should include the following:

Name of student in confinement
Date/ Time of confinement
Name of staff member confining the student s
Specific description of the behavior necessitating the confinement
Time of checks
Description of student’s behavior at each check

After BMC or Disciplinary confinement is discontinued, all observation forms are placed in the student’s booking file.

Suicide Watch documentation

Students displaying or stating suicidal ideations and/or behaviors shall be placed in pods 141 or 142 with an additional staff member physically posted at their location. A student on suicide watch will be issued a suicide blanket and suit. Regular detention clothing and linens will not be issued during this time. The documentation of both physical and camera supervision shall be completed by the direct care staff member and the control room staff. Recreation, class attendance, and showering shall be determined by each individual situation and done so in a manner that provides protection to the student and the staff.

Students who are placed on confinement shall be allowed to receive educational services, maintain appropriate personal hygiene, and engage in large muscle exercise. Services such as meals, clothing, sleep, access to drinking water, hygiene items, medical care, and mental health services will continue to be provided. If a student poses a threat to safety and security of staff services may be delayed and or modified as the situation deems necessary.

Students placed in JDC shall not be denied regular meals, clothing, sleep, medical care, mental health care, dental care, exercise, legal assistance, or correspondence opportunities.