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Ohio Laws and Rules
(A) The following standards will be mandatory:
(1) Each detention center shall have a written policy and procedure governing visitation.
(2) Visitation dates, times and practices shall be in writing, and shall be made readily available to all children, parents, legal guardians, custodians and attorneys.
(3) Each detention center shall have a written policy and procedure governing the handling of resident’s mail.
(4) Each detention center shall have a written policy and procedure that governs access to telephone communications.
(5) A child must be informed of the right to telephone their parents and attorney immediately after being admitted.
(6) The child may receive special visits at reasonable times by adult family members, clergy and teachers with the prior approval of the detention center director / designee.
(B) The following standards are recommended:
(1) There should be a minimum of three assigned visitation periods per week for parents, legal guardians or custodians at least one of which must be scheduled in the evening or on the weekend.
(2) Provisions in the plan shall allow for exceptions to the regularly scheduled hours to accommodate parent’s work schedules, illnesses or other reasonable requests.
(3) Provisions shall be made for the residents to visit with their attorney of record at any time. Attorney visits will not be monitored, but will be documented.
(4) Visitations should be conducted in a manner which provides as much privacy as possible and subject only to the limitation necessary to maintain order and security.
(5) Written policy and procedure specify that visitors register upon entry into the detention center and specify the circumstances under which visitors are searched.
(6) A visitation may be denied if there exists reasonable grounds to believe that the visit might endanger the security of the detention center. Reasons for denial of a visit shall be in writing and placed in the resident’s detention record.
(7) Children have the privilege of refusing to see any particular visitor. These refusals shall be documented and placed in the child’s record.
(8) Except where a court order exists to the contrary, residents shall be allowed the freedom to correspond. The detention center shall provide each resident with at least two first class stamps per week.
(9) No correspondence to or from residents shall be censored. No correspondence to or from a resident shall be read by staff unless the detention center director has reasonable cause to believe the content of the correspondence may incite to endanger the detention center order or security. If correspondence is read, the child must be informed.
(10) All incoming and outgoing mail is forwarded within twenty-four hours, excluding weekends and holidays.
(11) Incoming mail may be checked for contraband.
(12) The detention center will provide postage for residents to correspond with their attorney of record.
(13) Children will be permitted reasonable access to telephone communication with community agency professions and parents, subject only to those limitations necessary to maintain detention center order and security.
Replaces: 5139-37-19
Effective: 01/30/2009
R.C. 119.032 review dates: 11/14/2013
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 5139.04
Rule Amplifies: 5139.281
Prior Effective Dates: 12/11/88