What is being done to prevent suicide?
The tragedy of teen suicide is a nationwide problem that is especially acute in secure schools. The Department has spent millions of dollars to make its facilities as safe as possible. Every youth is evaluated within 24 hours of arrival at an ADJC facility, and assessments of suicide risk are ongoing. Whenever a youth is identified as at-risk for suicidal behavior, a carefully designed process is initiated. Youth are placed on a special high-risk status that mandates close observation every 15 minutes, every 10 minutes, every five minutes, or on a continuous observation basis, depending on the severity of the potential risk.
