Section 9-238.1 - Programming for regional services.
§ 9-238.1. Programming for regional services.
(a) In general.- The Department shall serve children in the juvenile services system with programming that:
(1) ensures the safety of the community and the children served;
(2) holds delinquent children accountable to victims and communities;
(3) assists children to develop competencies to become successful members of society;
(4) delivers services on a regional basis through at least four operational regions;
(5) (i) ensures that each committed facility owned by the Department serves no more than 48 children at one time; and
(ii) ensures that each committed facility licensed by the Department serves no more than 48 children at one time, unless the Secretary finds good cause for a committed facility licensed by the Department to serve more than 48 children at one time; and
(6) uses detention and committed facilities that are operationally separate from each other and that do not share common program space, including dining halls and educational or recreational facilities.
(b) Duties of regions.- A region shall:
(1) include at least one secure facility used solely for children pending court disposition and children awaiting placement after disposition;
(2) except for specialized services as provided in subsection (c) of this section, include a number of committed facilities estimated to be necessary to diagnose, care for, train, educate, and properly rehabilitate every child from the region in the custody of the Department; and
(3) include a nonpublic facility only if the Department determines that the facility:
(i) has provided or will efficiently and effectively provide adequate care for the children placed in the facility; and
(ii) has demonstrated or will demonstrate a record of success based on standards promulgated by the Department.
(c) Placement outside child's region.- The Department may place a child into a committed facility outside the child's region if a determination is made by the Department that specialized services for the child require the placement in the best interests of the child.
[2007, ch. 498; 2010, ch. 280.]