La. Admin. Code tit. 67 § V-7519

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section V-7519 - Physical Environment

A. Physical Appearance and Conditions

1. The provider shall have written policies and procedures and practices for the maintenance of a clean and sanitary facility that promotes a safe and secure environment for youth and addresses emergency repairs, replacement of equipment and general upkeep, preventive and ongoing maintenance of the physical plant and equipment.

2. Weekly sanitation inspections shall be made of all facility areas. A designated staff member shall submit a written sanitation report to the administrator. A copy of the report shall be kept on file.

3. The provider shall have an effective pest control program to prevent insect and rodent infestation.

4. The facility's perimeters shall be controlled by appropriate means to provide that youth remain within the perimeter and to prevent access by the general public without proper authorization. Facilities shall not utilize razor wire to secure the perimeter.

5. The provider shall provide heating, cooling and ventilation systems that are appropriate to summer and winter comfort zones, with no unhealthy extremes.

6. The provider shall ensure access to clean drinking water.

B. Positive Institutional Atmosphere

1. Staff demonstrates an appropriate level of tolerance of normal adolescent behavior in their day to day working with youth.

2. Furnishings and other decorations reflect a home-like, non-penal environment to the maximum extent possible.

3. Staff recognizes and celebrates important holidays, birthdays, and other dates of significance to youth.

4. The decor and programming acknowledge and value the diverse population of youth in the facility.

C. Dining Areas

1. Dining areas shall be clean, well lit, ventilated and equipped with dining tables and appropriate seating for the dining tables.

D. Sleeping Areas

1. Size requirements for single and double occupancy housing units shall be as follows.

a. A single occupancy room shall have at least 35 square feet of unencumbered space. At least one dimension of the unencumbered space shall be no less than seven feet. In determining unencumbered space in the cell or room, the total square footage is obtained and the square footage of fixtures and equipment is subtracted.

b. A double occupancy room shall have at least 50 square feet of unencumbered space.

2. Ceilings shall be a minimum of 10 feet from ceiling to floor.

3. There shall be separate sleeping rooms for male and female youth.

4. Youth held in sleeping rooms shall have access to a toilet above floor level, a washbasin, clean drinking water, running water, and a bed above floor level.

5. The provider shall not use any room that does not have natural lighting as a sleeping room.

6. The provider shall remove protrusions and other tie-off points from rooms.

7. Doors

a. The doors of every sleeping room shall have a view panel that allows complete visual supervision of all parts of the room. The view panel shall be one-quarter inch tempered or safety glass panels at least 10 inches square.

b. Doors shall be hinged to a metal frame set securely in the wall with sound insulation strips on the jamb.

c. Hinge pins of doors shall be tamperproof and non-removable.

d. In newly constructed or renovated facilities doors to sleeping rooms shall be arranged alternately so that they are not across the corridor from each other.

e. Each youth's housing door shall be hung so that it opens outward, in the opposite direction of the youth living area, or slide horizontally into a recessed pocket in order to prevent the door from being barricaded.

8. Lighting in sleeping rooms shall provide adequate illumination and shall be protected by a tamperproof safety cover.

9. Furniture and Fixtures

a. All furnishings, fixtures, and hardware in sleeping rooms shall be as suicide resistant as possible.

b. All youth shall have a bed above floor level

c. Only flame-retardant furnishings shall be used in the facility.

10. There shall not be any exposed pipes in sleeping rooms. Traps and shut-off values shall be behind locked doors outside the sleeping rooms.

E. Bathrooms

1. Individual showers shall be provided for all youth, with a ratio of not less than one shower for each six youth in the population.

2. At least one washbasin shall be provided for each six youth.

3. Urinals may be substituted for up to one-half of the toilets in male units.

4. A minimum of one toilet for each six youth shall be provided in each living unit.

5. Youth in "dry" rooms (without toilets) shall have immediate access to toilets (no longer than a five minute delay after a youth request).

6. Bathroom fixtures shall be sturdy, securely fastened to the floor and/or wall.

7. Showers shall be equipped to prevent slipping.

8. Bathroom facilities shall be designed so that youth are able to shower and perform bodily functions without staff or other youth viewing them naked.

F. Exercise Area

1. Facilities shall have outdoor exercise areas 100 square feet per youth for the maximum number of youth expected to use the space at one time, but not less than 1,500 square feet of unencumbered space.

G. Day Room Area

1. Facilities shall have dayrooms that provide a minimum of 35 square feet of space per youth (exclusive of lavatories, showers, and toilets) for the maximum number of youth per the unit capacity, and no dayroom encompasses less than 100 square feet of space (exclusive of lavatories, showers, and toilets).

H. Interview, Visitation and Counseling Areas

1. The provider shall provide sufficient space for interviewing, counseling, and visiting areas.

2. The interview and visiting room shall allow privacy, yet permit visual supervision by staff, and shall be located within the security perimeter completely separate from the youth living quarters.

I. Laundry

1. The provider shall have a process in place to ensure clean laundry is available for the youth.

J. Storage Areas

1. The provider shall have securely locked storage space for all potentially harmful materials. Keys to such storage spaces shall only be available to authorized staff members.

2. All service and maintenance areas shall be locked and shall be inaccessible to the youth.

3. Separate areas for mechanical equipment shall be provided in a location inaccessible to the youth.

4. Storage space shall be provided for janitorial supplies, food/kitchen supplies and equipment, arts and crafts materials, office supplies, and other supplies required for the maintenance of the facility.

5. Storage areas shall not be accessible by youth.

6. There shall be a location for secure storage of restraining devices and related security equipment. This equipment shall be readily accessible to authorized persons.

K. Housekeeping

1. There shall be a provision for providing housekeeping services for the facility's physical plant.

2. Cleaning and janitorial supplies shall be kept in a locked supply area. Supplies shall be issued and controlled by staff.

3. Unsupervised youth shall not have unrestricted access to areas where cleaning chemicals are stored.

4. Youth shall be directly supervised when cleaning chemicals and equipment are in use.

5. Chores shall be assigned in relation to the youth's age and abilities, and shall be planned so as not to interfere with regular school programs, study periods, recreation, or sleep.

6. The provider shall store and secure objects that can be used as weapons, including but not limited to knives, scissors, tools, and other instruments.

La. Admin. Code tit. 67, § V-7519

Promulgated by the Department of Children and Family Services, Division of Programs, Licensing Section, LR 38:1579 (July 2012).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 15:1110.