Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 22 - CORRECTIONS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT › Part I - Corrections › Chapter 7 - Youth Services › Subchapter C - Field Operations › Section I-767 - Research

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. Purpose. To
				  establish the deputy secretary's policy regarding medical and social science
				  research of secure care facilities and to address the direct participation of
				  youth in such research.
B.
				  Applicability. Deputy assistant secretaries and all facility
				  directors.
C. Policy. It is the
				  deputy secretary's policy that secure care facilities are encouraged to
				  support, engage in, and use medical and social science research activities
				  relevant to program services and operations. Requests and proposals for such
				  research will be reviewed and approved in accordance with the procedures
				  outlined herein. Proposed medical and social science studies which involve more
				  than minimal risk to youth must be reviewed under and comply with federal
				  regulations and shall be reviewed and approved by an authorized Institutional
				  Review Board (IRB). The sole purpose for overseeing human subject research is
				  to ensure that it meets applicable federal guidelines, complies with Youth
				  Services (YS) policies, and protects the individual.
D. Definitions
Certification
- the official notification
					 by the facility to YS Central Office that a research project or activity
					 involving human subjects has been reviewed and approved by an Institutional
					 Review Board in accordance with an approved assurance.
Human Subject
- a living individual about
					 whom an investigator (whether a professional or student) conducting research
					 obtains data through intervention or interaction with the individual or
					 identifiable private information.
Institution
- any public or private entity
					 or agency.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
- a
					 board, consisting of at least five members with various backgrounds,
					 established to provide complete review of research activities commonly
					 conducted by the institution as described above.
Minimal Risk
- the probability and
					 magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are not greater
					 than that ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of
					 routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.
Research
- a systematic investigation,
					 including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or
					 contribute to generalizable knowledge.
E. Procedures
1. Studies of the possible causes, effects,
				  and processes of secure care and studies of these facility structures and/or
				  youth in secure care facilities may only be conducted upon the approval of the
				  deputy secretary.
2. The director
				  shall review the research proposal and meet with the researcher(s) to discuss
				  the contents of the proposal and plans for the results. During the discussion
				  the director shall cover appropriate issues listed below under criteria and
				  negotiate the level of review and dissemination of the results with the
				  researcher(s) prior to initial approval.
3. The director shall initially approve a
				  research proposal based on the following criteria before forwarding it to the
				  deputy secretary for final approval:
a. the
				  conduct of research in the facility complies with professional and scientific
				  ethics and with applicable state and federal guidelines for the use and
				  dissemination of research findings;
b. the research presents no more than minimal
				  risk to youth;
c. the research
				  consists of no more than interviews and/or written questionnaires and surveys,
				  analysis of census and demographic data, or procedures that do not manipulate
				  bodily conditions;
d. facility
				  staff may assist research personnel in carrying out research and
				  evaluation;
e. any direct youth
				  participation or involvement is voluntary and requires consent from the youth's
				  parents or legal guardians if the youth is under the age of 17; if there is no
				  direct contact with youth and the research proposal only consists of retrieving
				  data which has been previously collected during the normal course of business,
				  no parental/guardian consent is needed;
f. the names of all participants are
				  confidential;
g. prior to
				  publication and/or presentation, a written report of the results of all medical
				  and social science research must be shared with YS;
h. the research activities will not interfere
				  with the normal operations of the facility;
i. qualified persons conduct the
				  research;
j. the research will be
				  conducted at no cost to YS, unless conducted at its request;
k. research findings will not be shared
				  without express written consent of the deputy secretary;
l. no studies or research may be conducted
				  for profit; and
m. the deputy
				  secretary must approve the distribution list of the research findings and
				  reports.
4. Any proposed
				  research studies that involve more than minimal risk to youth must be reviewed
				  under and comply with applicable federal regulations. The director shall ensure
				  that the researcher(s) verifies that the proposal has been reviewed and
				  approved by an authorized IRB prior to forwarding it to the deputy secretary
				  for final approval.
5. The deputy
				  secretary will review the research proposal prior to final approval to ensure
				  that it meets the overall goals, objectives, and mission of YS.
6. From the point that the deputy secretary
				  has approved a research project, the director shall monitor its progress to
				  ensure compliance with the provisions of this policy.