Restraint and Seclusion Laws in Rhode Island
What are the restraint and seclusion rules in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has specific regulations governing the use of restraint and seclusion in schools under 200-RICR-10-00-3 and R.I. Gen. Laws § 40.1-24-1 et seq. Rhode Island prohibits prone (face-down) restraint in schools. Physical restraint and seclusion may only be used as emergency safety interventions when a student's behavior poses a serious and imminent risk of physical harm to self or others, and only when less restrictive interventions have failed or are not feasible. Chemical restraint and mechanical restraint are prohibited in educational settings. Every incident of restraint or seclusion must be documented in a written report, and parents must be notified as soon as practicable and in writing within 24 hours. If restraint or seclusion is used repeatedly, the district must convene the IEP team to review and revise the behavioral intervention plan. Rhode Island's regulations require that any staff member who uses physical restraint be trained in approved de-escalation and restraint techniques. Annual reporting of restraint and seclusion data to RIDE is required.
What Rhode Island Requires
Prone (face-down) restraint is prohibited in Rhode Island schools (200-RICR-10-00-3; R.I. Gen. Laws § 40.1-24-1).
Chemical restraint and mechanical restraint are prohibited in educational settings (200-RICR-10-00-3).
Physical restraint and seclusion may only be used as last-resort emergency safety interventions when a student poses a serious imminent risk of physical harm to self or others and less restrictive alternatives have been tried or are not feasible (200-RICR-10-00-3; R.I. Gen. Laws § 40.1-24-1).
Each incident of restraint or seclusion must be documented in a written incident report; parents must be notified as soon as practicable and in writing within 24 hours (200-RICR-10-00-3).
Staff members who use physical restraint must have documented training in approved de-escalation and restraint techniques (200-RICR-10-00-3).
Repeated use of restraint or seclusion requires the district to convene the IEP team to review the behavioral intervention plan (200-RICR-10-00-3; 200-RICR-20-10-1.6(D)).
Key Timelines
Parents must be notified of a restraint or seclusion incident as soon as practicable (same day) and in writing within 24 hours (200-RICR-10-00-3).
IEP team must review BIP when repeated incidents of restraint or seclusion occur; school policy typically specifies a threshold (e.g., 2+ incidents) for mandatory IEP review (200-RICR-10-00-3).
Annual reporting of restraint and seclusion data to RIDE is required from all LEAs (200-RICR-10-00-3).