Mississippi Administrative Code
Title 24 - Mental Health
Part 2 - Operational Standards for Mental Health, Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Community Service Providers
Chapter 35 - Designated Mental Health Holding Facilities
Rule 24-2-35.4 - Environment and Safety

A. If the holding facility is being used for civil commitment purposes and is part of a correctional facility or jail, the people awaiting transfer related to civil commitment proceedings (or just people detained as part of the civil commitment process) must be held separately from pre-trial criminal offense detainees or inmates serving sentences.

B. Rooms used for holding people must be free from structures and/or fixtures that could be used to harm themselves.

C. Holding facilities must be inspected and approved by appropriate local and/or state fire, health/sanitation, and safety agencies at least annually (within the anniversary month of the prior inspection), with written records of fire and health inspections on file.

D. The following must be conducted immediately upon arrival:

E. If the risk level for any of these assessments is deemed "high," a twenty-four (24) hour follow-up assessment by a nurse or physician is required.

F. If the risk level for suicide is deemed "high," immediate suicide prevention actions must be instituted.