Juvenile Custody Services

Craig Bachman
Juvenile Custody Services Program Manager
503.988.6066

Donald E. Long Home's mission is...

• Custody Service Intake
• Custody Service Specialists
• Daily Schedules
• Detention Alternatives
• Detention Programs
• Chaplain Services
• Computer Lab
• Daily Groups
• Correction Health
• Evidence Based Practices
• Library and Video Services
• Recreation
• School
• Treatment Services
• Volunteer Services
• Detention Reform Initiative
• Detention Unit Photo
• Detention Room Photo
• Measure 11 Information
• Orientation Unit
• Other Residential Programs
• Secure Residential Alcohol and Drug Program (RAD)
• Safety and Security
• Training
• Visiting Youth In Detention

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Custody Service Intake
The Multnomah County Department of Community Justice Detention Facility- (Donald. E. Long center) operates the Custody Services Intake to receive, screen, counsel, refer, place and admit eligible and appropriate youth who are brought to the facility. Law enforcement personnel and personnel from youth care agencies as well as parents, guardians, and others bring youth to the Facility. Juveniles sometimes bring themselves in on outstanding warrants or runaways or just because they need help for one reason or another.

The Custody Service Intake Specialist completes a screening process for each juvenile. Interviews are conducted with the juvenile as well as with parents/guardians or other interested individuals possibly including police and youth care agency personnel. Relevant files and reports are evaluated. Staff is able to arrange for most of the juveniles to be released from custody to parents or other placements they were in prior to the current incident.

Some youth cannot appropriately be returned home or to their prior placement. In these situations, Custody Service Intake must attempt to develop another placement plan for the juvenile. A determination is made with regards to the need for a secure or non-secure custody placement based upon a number of criteria including whether or not less restrictive means exist to ensure attendance at a hearing and the youth's behavior endangers the physical welfare of the youth or another person, or endangers the community, and no other preventative measure are available to conform the youth's behavior to protect the best interest of the youth or the community.

If a secure custody placement is needed, Custody Service Intake must be sure that the youth qualifies to be admitted to our Detention Facility according to Oregon Law. If the youth is held in our Detention Facility, the parents/guardians are notified of the preliminary hearing and the appropriate forms are completed.

If a non-secure custody placement is needed, Custody Service Intake must decide which is the best available plan for the youth. This could range from releasing the youth on his/her own recognizance to go to friends or someplace like an overnight shelter or releasing to a responsible person such as a relative or family friend, or community shelter care programs.. The youth might also be issued a citation to appear for a preliminary hearing at a later date. Appropriate forms are completed and recommendations are made for possible follow-up assignments and or referral to other agency personnel.

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Custody Service Specialists
From the hiring process, to staff orientation and training, and to ongoing performance evaluations, Custody Services Specialists, both permanent and on-call, are orientated toward and held accountable for knowing and adhering to strict safety and security procedures.

Juvenile Custody Services Specialists are responsible for the guidance, security, training, and general care of delinquent and disturbed youth in a culturally diverse juvenile detention facility. Particular emphasis is placed upon cognitive restructuring philosophy, leisure time activities, personal hygiene, (which included daily individual showers), and work activities. This is done in our interactive supervision model.

Duties include supervising youth's behavior and activities; maintaining safety, security and the order of living units; restraining aggressive and / or assaultive youths; providing guidance and group programming, planning recreational programs; facilitating cognitive groups; maintaining routine records; preparing oral and written reports using automated systems; and working cooperatively as a productive member of the team

A complete job description for Custody Service Specialist may be found at:
http://agency.governmentjobs.com/multnomah/default.cfm?action=
viewclassspec&ClassSpecID=10649&Agency=566&ViewOnly=Yes

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Daily Schedule
Each unit follows a basic schedule and follows a behavior management system that is designed to promote appropriate behavior with youth in a custody setting. The system uses a hierarchy of behavior status levels that determine the degree of privileges earned by youth. Youth are encouraged to demonstrate positive and safe behavior, demonstrate knowledge and practice of pro-social skills, and are held accountable for negative and disruptive behaviors, which results in more priveleges, like extra visits, later bedtimes, etc.

Orientation Unit
All youth start off in the Orientation Unit where youth become familiarized with the rules all expectations of the unit and the detention facility. Orientation information is verbally explained to each youth by staff. Additionally, an orientation video provided in English and Spanish is viewed by each youth upon admissions to detention. All questions a youth may have about expectations or specific procedures are fully answered by staff. Each youth also is given a handbook that is available to them throughout their stay.

When being orientated the youth view a videos that explains the Measure 11 law and process and covers the in's and out's of detention. Youth are given an overview of such topics as; school, daily activities and schedule, medical, religious services, library, computer lab, core corrections, behavior management, mental health and drug and alcohol assessments. The youth on the Orientation unit generally stay 2-3 days. Once they have been orientated and gone to court they typically transfer units. Measure 11 youth go to the Measure 11 Pod; girls go to the Girls Pod; younger boys go to the Younger Boys Pod, and older boys go to the Older Boys Pod.

Chaplain Services
A chaplain from the community volunteers much of his time, offering youth the opportunity to speak with him one of the three or four times he is here weekly. He also oversees and coordinates religious services in custody, being sensitive to meet the various needs of the youth coming from a variety of religious backgrounds.

Computer Lab
In addition to a computer for use in school and during free time on every unit, our facility has a six-eight terminal computer lab where youth from a unit can use a terminal at the same time.

For more information and to see some of the work created, please follow this link.
http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dcj/jcjcomputerlab.shtml

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Core Corrections
Juvenile Custody Services has implemented the use of an innovative approach in working with juvenile offenders. There are two components in this approach known as Core Corrections.

The Core Corrections curricula are interrelated with the Behavior Management System. Each curriculum is designed to teach pro-social skills, such as empathy, thinking errors or problem solving. Through this process we challenge the youth to replace inappropriate responses and behaviors with socially appropriate behaviors. Research has indicated that through the teaching of Core Corrections skills the rate of recidivism will be reduced.

In understanding and addressing the dynamic of adolescents involved in criminal behavior, Core Corrections provides principals in working with delinquent youth. It is our intent that youth transition out of Juvenile Custody Services with the skills needed to avoid further criminal behavior.

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Correction Health
Gayle Burrow
Health Services Administrator at the Juvenile Justice Complex
503.988.5821
Fax: 503.988.3510

We are a Division of the Health Department. Since the majority of detained youth return to the community, we have an important role on the overall continuum of community health services. Our primary duties involve assessment and treatment of acute medical and psychiatric conditions in male and female juvenile offenders in custody at Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Home (JDH). Medical services include communicable disease screening, triage, treatment, prenatal care, emergency response, and health education. Mental health services include suicide prevention, crisis intervention, identification and treatment of mentally ill juveniles, and assisting various Juvenile Justice programs with continuity of care issues and release planning.

Youth may see the on duty nurse during any of their three daily rounds to the units.

Daily Groups
All custody units provide facilitated cognitive restructuring groups at least four times weekly. Youth are assisted in developing skills such as problem solving, empathy, expressing anger appropriately, and identification of their own thinking errors. Research shows that individuals who are able to demonstrate these skills usually are better able to respond appropriately to problems and frustrations in their lives, and are more likely to be successful once they return to the community.

Multi-cultural services are provided to assist, whenever necessary.

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Library and Video Services
Multnomah County Library, in partnership with Juvenile Services Division, provides librarian services and offers extensive book selections to youth for pleasurable reading and to enhance reading skills. A small video library has been established; educational and approved videos may be offered for viewing. Multi-cultural materials are provided.

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Recreation (REC)
The REC program is designed to ensure that all the youth in detention exercise properly by providing big muscle activities to enhance their overall mental and physical well being. Each youth participates in recreation daily. There are three outdoor recreation areas, one of which is covered so that the youth may go outdoors even if the weather is rainy. The recreation schedule rotates daily to provide a variety of activities each day. During "free time", youth may use phones to make collect calls, write letters, read, and play games or basketball on the unit.

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Safety and Security
The Donald E. Long facility is designed to be safe and secure. There is a central control center which allows monitoring of all areas of the building at one time and controls movement within the facility. Should an emergency occur within one unit, that incident is isolated from the rest of the facility. The central control is staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days weekly.
There is a staff-to youth ratio of one to eleven, with 16 youth in each unit. Movement of youth within detention is restricted. All youth must be escorted by staff whenever there is a need for movement to visiting, court, medical, etc. We endeavor to have one-on-one escort. Youth are also escorted and supervisied by staff when going to and from the gym for recreation.

At all times, staff on duty are to provide supervision of all juveniles and know their whereabouts within the unit. Personal inspection of each juvenile takes place hourly or more, as the situation dictates. A highly trained staff that is held accountable for their performance on the job, a well designed facility, a structured daily routine for youth all assist in providing for a safe and secure facility.

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School
Mike Funderburg
Principal
503.988.3577

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Training
All staff are well trained regarding safety and security, and perform their duties well while dealing with a difficult population. When employees are hired, both permanent and on-call, they receive 80 hours of training which covers a variety of topics, including policies and procedures, first aid and CPR, bloodborne pathogens, hazard communications, and Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) training. CPI is a continuum program designed for de-escalating and/or containing threatening behavior through verbal technique and other intervention steps, up to and including physical restraint of the youth.

Additionally, all newly hired staff receive training from the Oregon Youth Authority, endorsed by the Oregon Juvenile Director's Association. This training consists of safety and security practices for dealing with youth in the detention setting. Staff are also required to attend, complete, and demonstrate proficiency in annual update training in the above areas; CPI refresher certification is required every six months.

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Volunteer Services
Autumn Ray
Volunteer Coordinator
503.988.5634

Thoroughly screened volunteers and student practicums/interns, provide valuable services to youth and staff of The Department of Community Justice and to Custody Services. Community Volunteers are encouraged to mentor our youth, and to assist with arts and crafts projects. For more information and to find out about current volunteer opportunities, please refer to: http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dcj/volunteers.shtml.

Please follow these links for to learn more about Counseling and Court Services and Juvenile Treatment Services.

Please follow this link to find out more about emancipation and other Common Laws effecting juveniles.