They must be written and available to minors, both as a fair warning of the consequences of inappropriate behavior and in order to ensure due process and equal protection as guaranteed by the United States and California State Constitutions. It is advisable to keep the number of rules to a minimum. Too many rules can cause disciplinary problems, waste staff time and create an overly repressive atmosphere. Too many rules also weaken the effectiveness of the important rules that are necessary for the facility to operate efficiently and effectively. Maintaining discipline within a local detention facility is critical to safety, security, and efficient facility operations.
Counseling is among the first actions to be taken in response to lesser rule violations.
To ensure the safety and security of the facility, an administrative decision may be made to remove a minor from general housing pending the outcome of either the disciplinary process or prosecution. This typically occurs when the offense is aggravated, may recur or incite other misconduct if the minor remains in the housing area. It removes the minor from the environment where the incident occurred, preventing a continuation of the behavior and discourages others to follow. Isolation or the loss of any facility privilege requires the transmittal of a written report from the staff member observing the act to the disciplinary officer as well as formal notice to the minor. When a minor is placed in lock-down status pending a hearing, completion of the hearing within the required time constraints assumes greater significance.