Rule 6-103: Non-Voluntary Return of Runaways and/or Accused Status Offenders

A requisition applies to all juveniles in custody who refuse to voluntarily return to their home/demanding state or to request a juvenile whose whereabouts are known, but not in custody be picked up and detained pending return. A requisition may also be used to request a juvenile be picked up and detained pending return when they have left the state with the permission of their legal guardian/custodial agency but failed to return as directed. 

1. Runaways and accused status offenders in custody who are a danger to themselves or others shall be detained in secure facilities until returned by the home/demanding state. The holding state shall have the discretion to hold runaways and accused status offenders who are not a danger to themselves or others at a location it deems appropriate.
    
2. The home/demanding state’s ICJ Office shall maintain regular contact with the authorities preparing the requisition to ensure accurate preparation and timely delivery of said documents to minimize detention time. 
    
3. When the juvenile is a runaway and/or an accused status offender, the legal guardian or custodial agency shall petition the court of jurisdiction in the home/demanding state for a requisition. When the juvenile is already in custody, this shall be done within sixty (60) calendar days of notification of the juvenile’s refusal to voluntarily return.
   
   a. The petitioner may use Form A, Petition for Requisition to Return a Runaway Juvenile, or other petition. The petition shall state the juvenile's name and date of birth, the name of the petitioner, and the basis of entitlement to the juvenile's custody, the circumstances of his/her running away, his/her location at the time application is made, and other facts showing that the juvenile is endangering his/her own welfare or the welfare of others and is not an emancipated minor.
   
   i. The petition shall be verified by affidavit.
   ii. The petition is to be accompanied by a certified copy of the document(s) on which the petitioner’s entitlement to the juvenile's custody is based, such as birth certificates, letters of guardianship, or custody decrees.
   iii. Other affidavits and other documents may be submitted with such petition.
   
   b. When it is determined that the juvenile should be returned, the court in the home/demanding state shall sign the Form I Requisition for Runaway Juvenile.
   
   c. The Form I Requisition for Runaway Juvenile accompanied by the petition and supporting documentation shall be forwarded to the home/demanding state’s ICJ Office.
    
4. Upon receipt of the Form I Requisition for Runaway Juvenile, the home/ demanding state’s ICJ Office shall ensure the requisition packet is in order. The ICJ Office will submit the requisition packet through the electronic data system to the ICJ Office in the state where the juvenile is located. The state where the juvenile is located may request and shall be entitled to receive originals or duly certified copies of any legal documents.
    
5. The ICJ Office in the state where the juvenile is located will forward the Form I Requisition for Runaway Juvenile to the appropriate court and request that a hearing be held within thirty (30) calendar days of the receipt of the requisition. If not already detained, the court shall order the juvenile be held pending a hearing on the requisition. This time period may be extended with the approval of both ICJ Offices.
    
6. The court in the holding state shall inform the juvenile of the demand made for his/her return and may elect to appoint counsel or a guardian ad litem. The purpose of said hearing is to determine proof of entitlement for the return of the juvenile. If proof of entitlement is not established, the court shall issue written findings detailing the reason(s) for denial.  
    
7. In all cases, the order concerning the requisition shall be forwarded immediately from the holding court to the holding state's ICJ Office which shall forward the same to the home/demanding state's ICJ Office.
    
8. Juveniles held in detention, pending non-voluntary return to the home/demanding state, may be held for a maximum of ninety (90) calendar days.
    
9. Juveniles shall be returned by the home/demanding state within five (5) business days of the receipt of the order granting the requisition. This time period may be extended up to an additional five (5) business days with approval from both ICJ Offices.
    
10. If the legal guardian or custodial agency in the home/demanding state is unable or refuses to initiate the requisition process on a runaway, then the home/demanding state's appropriate authority shall initiate the requisition process on behalf of the juvenile.