2016 Arkansas Code
Title 9 - Family Law
Subtitle 3 - Minors
Chapter 27 - Juvenile Courts and Proceedings
Subchapter 3 - -- Arkansas Juvenile Code
§ 9-27-336. Limitations on detention

(a) A juvenile who is alleged to be or who has been adjudicated either dependent-neglected or a member of a family in need of services shall not be placed or detained in a secure detention facility, in a facility utilized for the detention of alleged or adjudicated delinquent juveniles, or in a facility utilized for the detention of adults held for, charged with, or convicted of a crime except:

(1) (A) A juvenile may be held in a juvenile detention facility when he or she has been away from home for more than twenty-four (24) hours and when the parent, guardian, or other person contacted lives beyond a fifty-mile driving distance or out of state.

(B) (i) The juvenile may be held in custody in a juvenile detention facility for purposes of identification, processing, or arranging for release or transfer to an alternative facility.

(ii) The holding shall be limited to the minimum time necessary to complete these actions and shall not occur in any facility utilized for incarceration of adults.

(C) (i) A juvenile held under this subdivision (a)(1) shall be separated from detained juveniles charged or held for delinquency.

(ii) A juvenile may not be held under this subdivision (a)(1) for more than six (6) hours if the parent, guardian, or other person contacted lives in the state or twenty-four (24) hours, excluding weekends and holidays, if the parent, guardian, or other person contacted lives out of state; and

(2) (A) An adjudicated-family-in-need-of-services juvenile may be held in a juvenile detention facility when the court finds that the juvenile violated a valid court order.

(B) (i) For the purposes of this subdivision (a)(2), a valid court order shall include any order of a circuit court regarding a juvenile who has been brought before the court and made subject to a court order.

(ii) The juvenile who is the subject of the order shall receive full due process rights.

(C) (i) A juvenile held under this subdivision (a)(2) shall be separated from detained juveniles charged or held for delinquency.

(ii) The holding shall not occur in any facility utilized for incarceration of adults.

(b) A juvenile shall not be placed or confined in a jail or lock-up used for the detention of adults except under the following circumstances:

(1) A juvenile who has been formally transferred from the juvenile division of circuit court to the criminal division of circuit court and against whom felony charges have been filed or a juvenile whom the prosecuting attorney has the discretion to charge in circuit court and to prosecute as an adult and against whom the circuit court's jurisdiction has been invoked by the filing of felony charges may be held in an adult jail or lock-up;

(2) (A) A juvenile alleged to have committed a delinquent act may be held in an adult jail or lock-up for up to six (6) hours for purposes of identification, processing, or arranging for release or transfer to an alternative facility, provided that he or she is separated by sight and sound from adults who are pretrial detainees or convicted persons.

(B) A holding for those purposes shall be limited to the minimum time necessary and shall not include travel time for transporting the juvenile to the alternative facility; or

(3) (A) A juvenile alleged to have committed a delinquent act who is awaiting an initial appearance before a judge may be held in an adult jail or lock-up for up to twenty-four (24) hours, excluding weekends and holidays, provided the following conditions exist:

(i) The alleged act would be a misdemeanor or a felony if committed by an adult or is a violation of § 5-73-119;

(ii) The geographical area having jurisdiction over the juvenile is outside a metropolitan statistical area pursuant to the current designation of the United States Bureau of the Census;

(iii) No acceptable alternative placement for the juvenile exists; and

(iv) The juvenile is separated by sight and sound from adults who are pretrial detainees or convicted persons.

(B) (i) A juvenile awaiting an initial appearance and being held in an adult jail or lock-up pursuant to the twenty-four-hour exception, as provided in subdivision (b)(3)(A) of this section, may be held for an additional period not to exceed twenty-four (24) hours, provided that the following conditions exist:

(a) The conditions of distance to be traveled or the lack of highway, road, or other ground transportation does not allow for court appearances within twenty-four (24) hours; and

(b) All the conditions in subdivision (b)(3)(A) of this section exist.

(ii) Criteria will be adopted by the Governor or his or her designee to establish what distance, highway or road conditions, or ground transportation limitations will provide a basis for holding a juvenile in an adult jail or lock-up under this exception.

(c) Provided that the facilities are designed and used in accordance with federal and state guidelines and restrictions, nothing in this subchapter is intended to prohibit the use of juvenile detention facilities that are attached to or adjacent to adult jails or lock-ups.

(d) A detention facility shall not release a serious offender for a less serious offender except by order of the judge who committed the more serious offender.