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In Hot Water: ACA Standards on the Confinement of Youthful Offenders in Adult Correctional Facilities

NCJ Number
186710
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 62 Issue: 7 Dated: December 2000 Pages: 16-21
Author(s)
Lynn S. Branham
Date Published
December 2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article examines American Correctional Association (ACA)standards on the confinement of youthful offenders in adult correctional facilities.
Abstract
ACA supports development of specialized facilities within juvenile detention/correctional and youthful offender systems to meet the security risks and programming needs of youthful offenders under the age of majority who are transferred to adult jurisdictions or who cannot be handled by current facilities or programs within the juvenile correctional/detention systems. The ACA policy further advocates adoption of legislation vesting corrections officials with the authority to place youthful offenders detained or sentenced as adults into an appropriate juvenile detention/correctional offender system distinct from the adult system. Finally, ACA policy states that, if youthful offenders are confined in adult facilities, they should be confined in specialized units meeting certain delineated requirements, including that youthful offenders have no sight or sound contact with adult offenders in living, programming, dining, or other common areas. ACA is incorporating this official policy into its accreditation standards.