The requirement for treatment programs was tightened to mandate that they be 'research-based best practice' or 'evidence-based' programs, with specific definitions provided for these terms.
New provisions require the department to calculate midpoint review hearing dates for youth committed for multiple offenses and to notify the court of these calculations.
The department's report to the court before review hearings was modified to require inclusion in the social file and to explicitly detail how often a person has been under room confinement due to staffing or overpopulation.
The court's authority to release a person from custody was modified to require consideration of specific factors listed in RCW 13.40.165(6)(a) before releasing a person to community supervision.
New subsections clarify that if a respondent is committed for multiple offenses and any one is ineligible for a midpoint review, the respondent cannot receive a midpoint review hearing at all.
The transfer of juveniles to adult facilities was modified to require that the person be released before their 25th birthday if they are within one week of that date and meet specific low-risk criteria.
The minimum time a juvenile must spend in a secure institution before placement in a community facility was increased from 10 percent of the sentence (or 30 days) to 10 percent (or 30 days), removing the previous exception for offenders transferring under the new overcrowding relief section.
A new provision requires that risk assessment tools used for juvenile placement be designed to limit bias related to race, ethnicity, gender, and age.
The department's authority to transfer juveniles to adult facilities was expanded to include individuals committed under RCW 72.01.410, and hearing requirements were waived for transfers under the new overcrowding relief section.
New rules for overcrowding relief allow the secretary to transfer eligible individuals to community facilities or transition services when population exceeds 105% of rated bed capacity, with specific exclusions for high-risk individuals.
The notice period for transferring a juvenile to a community facility was reduced from 30 days to less than 30 days when placing a person under the new overcrowding relief provisions.
A new requirement mandates that the department prioritize programming delivery from individuals who share characteristics (race, ethnicity, sexual identity, gender identity) with the person being served.
The definition of 'victim' was expanded to include known parents or guardians of a victim who is a minor child or is incapacitated, incompetent, disabled, or deceased.
The requirement for the court to give credit for confinement time served was modified to apply only if the confinement was for the specific offense for which the suspension is being revoked.
