2012 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 63 - South Carolina Children's Code
Chapter 19 - JUVENILE JUSTICE CODE
Section 63-19-820 - Out-of-home placement.

(A) When the officer who took the child into custody determines that placement of a juvenile outside the home is necessary, the authorized representative of the Department of Juvenile Justice shall make a diligent effort to place the child in an approved home, program, or facility, other than a secure juvenile detention facility, when these alternatives are appropriate and available.

(B) A child is eligible for detention in a secure juvenile detention facility only if the child:

(1) is charged with a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60;

(2) is charged with a crime which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony or a misdemeanor other than a violent crime, and the child:

(a) is already detained or on probation or conditional release or is awaiting adjudication in connection with another delinquency proceeding;

(b) has a demonstrable recent record of wilful failures to appear at court proceedings;

(c) has a demonstrable recent record of violent conduct resulting in physical injury to others; or

(d) has a demonstrable recent record of adjudications for other felonies or misdemeanors; and

(i) there is reason to believe the child is a flight risk or poses a threat of serious harm to others; or

(ii) the instant offense involved the use of a firearm;

(3) is a fugitive from another jurisdiction;

(4) requests protection in writing under circumstances that present an immediate threat of serious physical injury;

(5) had in his possession a deadly weapon;

(6) has a demonstrable recent record of wilful failure to comply with prior placement orders including, but not limited to, a house arrest order;

(7) has no suitable alternative placement and it is determined that detention is in the child's best interest or is necessary to protect the child or public, or both; or

(8) is charged with an assault and battery or an assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature on school grounds or at a school-sponsored event against any person affiliated with the school in an official capacity.

A child who meets the criteria provided in this subsection is eligible for detention. Detention is not mandatory for a child meeting the criteria if that child can be supervised adequately at home or in a less secure setting or program. If the officer does not consent to the release of the child, the parents or other responsible adult may apply to the family court within the circuit for an ex parte order of release of the child. The officer's written report must be furnished to the family court judge who may establish conditions for the release.

(C) No child may be placed in secure confinement or ordered detained by the court in secure confinement in an adult jail or other place of detention for adults for more than six hours. However, the prohibition against the secure confinement of juveniles in adult jails does not apply to juveniles who have been waived to the court of general sessions for the purpose of standing trial as an adult. Juveniles placed in secure confinement in an adult jail during this six-hour period must be confined in an area of the jail which is separated by sight and sound from adults similarly confined.

(D) Temporary holdover facilities may hold juveniles during the period between initial custody and the initial detention hearing before a family court judge for a period up to forty-eight hours, excluding weekends and state holidays.

(E) A child who is taken into custody because of a violation of law which would not be a criminal offense under the laws of this State if committed by an adult must not be placed or ordered detained in an adult detention facility. A child who is taken into custody because of a violation of the law which would not be a criminal offense under the laws of this State if committed by an adult must not be placed or ordered detained more than twenty-four hours in a juvenile detention facility, unless an order previously has been issued by the court, of which the child has notice and which notifies the child that further violation of the court's order may result in the secure detention of that child in a juvenile detention facility. If a juvenile is ordered detained for violating a valid court order, the juvenile may be held in secure confinement in a juvenile detention facility for not more than seventy-two hours, excluding weekends and holidays. However, nothing in this section precludes a law enforcement officer from taking a status offender into custody.

(F) Children ten years of age and younger must not be incarcerated in a jail or detention facility for any reason. Children eleven or twelve years of age who are taken into custody for a violation of law which would be a criminal offense under the laws of this State if committed by an adult or who violates conditions of probation for such an offense must be incarcerated in a jail or detention facility only by order of the family court.

(G) For purposes of this section, "adult jail" or other place of detention for adults includes a state, county, or municipal police station, law enforcement lockup, or holding cell. "Secure confinement" means an area having bars or other restraints designed to hold one person or a group of persons at a law enforcement location for any period of time and for any reason. Secure confinement in an adult jail or other place of detention does not include a room or a multipurpose area within the law enforcement center which is not secured by locks or other security devices. Rooms or areas of this type include lobbies, offices, and interrogation rooms. Juveniles held in these areas are considered to be in nonsecure custody as long as the room or area is not designed for or intended for use as a residential area, the juvenile is not handcuffed to a stationary object while in the room or area, and the juvenile is under continuous visual supervision by facility staff while in this room or area which is located within the law enforcement center. Secure confinement also does not include a room or area used by law enforcement for processing "booking" purposes, irrespective of whether it is determined to be secure or nonsecure, as long as the juvenile's confinement in the area is limited to the time necessary to fingerprint, photograph, or otherwise "book" the juvenile in accordance with state law.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 361, Section 2.