Written policies and procedures ensure consistency and fairness in their application. Although the discipline system will vary depending on a wide variety of needs at individual facilities, this standard establishes key elements required to satisfy current legal and operational needs. Counseling is among the first actions to be taken in response to lesser rule violations. Counseling is personal and informal. It encourages the minor to respond in a mature responsible manner.
Counseling can be an effective tool in the disciplinary process.
It relies on the skill and sensitivity of staff to diffuse potential disciplinary problems before they escalate. This kind of informal handling of lesser infractions does not require documentation. A series of lesser violations can constitute a major violation. Some notation of accumulating violations could later be helpful in documenting the more serious or cumulative disciplinary problem. When assignment of lesser sanctions are imposed for acts of non-conformance, there is an accompanying need for review by supervisory level staff.