Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Authorities in charge of the youth inmates in Kansas have geared up for the possibility of a H1N1 flu outbreak at juvenile correctional facilities.

The Juvenile Justice Authority issued a memo Tuesday to all staff outlining plans to monitor the spread of H1N1 flu and minimize exposure.

The memo comes on the heels of staff concerns over two earlier unauthorized memos issued at the correctional facilities in Beloit and Larned requesting staff to start making personal plans in the unlikely event of a quarantine.

Officials said the state's three juvenile justice facilities are screening visitors for flu symptoms.

The state also suspended a requirement that community case managers conduct face-to-face contact with youths and increased medical screening of young people brought to a facility.