Starting this month, a clear bag policy will be implemented at Echo Glen and Green Hill School as part of ongoing efforts to improve safety and security at juvenile rehabilitation facilities.
The switch to clear bags will require staff, visitors, volunteers, and anyone entering secure facilities to use clear bags.
The clear bag policy also requires clear food containers. Items in foil, stainless steel containers, or insulated containers will not be allowed in the facility or must be empty and disassembled to ensure they are safe.
Clear bags allow security staff to easily identify items allowed, better enforce the volume of items entering, and reduce the likelihood of someone forgetting they have an unauthorized item in their bag.
This policy is part of a bigger strategy to reduce the introduction of contraband and streamline the process for staff to move through security during busy times. The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has implemented a series of policies over the last year to reduce the risk of contraband, including:
- Wireless portable technology policy, which bans unauthorized cellphones, smart watches, and other devices from entering the campus.
- Intermittent no contact visitation.
- Mail screening process.
- Point of entry protocols.
Along with these policies, juvenile rehabilitation facilities continue to use body scanner equipment, increase searches, and conduct more patrols which resulted in staff intercepting and locating contraband.