Resources for North Central Secure Treatment Unit (NCSTU)

Resources and Information Provided by: National PREA Resource Center

• PREA Standards for Adult Prisons and Jails
  • The full PREA Juvenile Facility Standards can be found here.
• Resident Education (§ 115.333)
  • PREA Education Video: This 26 minute video was created by the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (GDJJ) as an optional education program that can be administered to residents entering the juvenile facility. A juvenile resident must receive some form of education regarding PREA within the first 10 days of their stay. 
  • What Kids Need to Know: PREA and Resident Education in Youth Facilities; Authors: Just Detention International PowerPoint slides for the webinar titled, What Kids Need to Know: PREA and Resident Education in Youth Facilities, which took place on June 20, 2013.
• Resident Screening (§ 115.341)
  • Juvenile centers are required to screen every resident within 72 hours regarding information about their history that may place them at an increased risk for being a victim of sexual violence. A screening tool should be implemented that screens for: 
    • Prior sexual victimization or abuse
    • LGBTQ+ status and/or gender non-conforming appearance/behaviors
    • Offense history/current charges
    • Age
    • Physical size and stature
    • Levels of emotional and cognitive abilities
    • Mental Illness/Disability
    • Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities
    • Physical Disabilities
    • The resident’s perception of vulnerability
• Resident Reporting (§ 115.351 )
  • Inmates have the right to report sexual assault or harassment privately and internally to a staff person, or externally through a 24/7 hotline number.
  • The Childline Number is: 1-800-932-0313
• Reporting an Incident
  • PREA Standards State:
    • 1. Staff will investigate every single report of sexual abuse or harassment
    • 2. Residents will not be punished for reports made in good faith
    • 3. Both residents and staff who report sexual abuse and sexual harassment will be protected from retaliation
    • 4. No one ever deserves to be sexually abused or sexually harassed
    • 5. Sexual abuse is never the victim’s fault.
  • An incident report/PREA Report must be completed and sent to the PREA Coordinator.
  • Ask the victim if they would like to speak to a TWC Advocate–we are always available to respond on-site to speak with a victim
  • Ask if they would like to go to the hospital (if they believe there are injuries or if the assault was within the last 5 days they can have a forensic rape exam completed)
  • Ask if they would like to speak with anyone from the local mental health office
  • Ask them if they would like to speak to local law enforcement/the investigating officer
  • PREA Specialty Training: Module 4, Reporting and the PREA Standards Video
• PREA Coordinator
  • Tool kits: There are several tool kits available to gain additional background knowledge and valuable resources. These are the tool kits that will be most useful for North Central Secure Treatment Unit.
    • Implementing The Prison Rape Elimination Act: A Toolkit for Juvenile Agencies and Facilities; Authors: The Moss Group, National Institute of Corrections (sponsor) The goal of this Toolkit is to provide juvenile agencies and facilities of all sizes, political divisions, and geographic locations with a step-by-step guide for preventing, detecting, and eliminating sexual abuse of residents in their custody – and for responding effectively to abuse when it does occur.
    • PREA Audit Instrument – Juvenile Facilities; Authors: PREA Resource Center, Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice These documents comprise the instrument that auditors will use to audit the U.S. Department of Justice’s PREA Standards for Juvenile Facilities. 

    • Juvenile Facilities Pre-Audit Questionnaire

      Juvenile Facilities Auditor Compliance Tool

      Juvenile Facilities Instructions for PREA Audit Tour

      Juvenile Facilities – Agency Head/Designee Interview Protocol

      Juvenile Facilities – Superintendent/Designee Interview Protocol

      Juvenile Facilities – PREA Compliance Manager/Coordinator Interview Protocol

      Juvenile Facilities – Specialized Staff Interview Protocol

      Juvenile Facilities – Random Staff Interview Protocol

      Juvenile Facilities Resident Interview Protocol

      Juvenile Facilities Auditor Report Template

      Juvenile Facilities Process Map

      Juvenile Facilities Checklist of Documentation

    • A Quick Guide for LGBTI Policy Development for Youth Confinement Facilities; Authors: The Moss Group, National Institute of Corrections This Quick Guide will help agencies and facilities develop a comprehensive response to working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) youth. It is not meant to provide an answer to every question or an in-depth discussion of all issues that agencies face or that the LGBTI population faces while in custody.
    • For Kids’ Sake: PREA and Victim Services in Youth Facilities; Authors: Just Detention International  PowerPoint slides for the webinar titled, For Kids’ Sake: PREA and Victim Services in Youth Facilities, which took place on June 14, 2013.
    • Sexual Victimization In Juvenile Facilities Reported By Youth, 2012; Authors: Allen J. Beck, Ph.D., David Cantor, Ph.D., John Hartge, Tim Smith, Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics  Presents data from the 2012 National Survey of Youth in Custody (NSYC), conducted in 326 juvenile confinement facilities between February and September 2012, with a sample of 8,707 adjudicated youth. The report ranks facilities according to the prevalence of sexual victimization, as required under the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-79).
    • Addressing Sexual Violence Against Youth in Custody: Youth Workers’ Handbook on Identifying and Addressing Sexual Violence in Juvenile Justice SettingsAuthors: Brenda V. Smith, Jamie M. Yarussi  “Sexual abuse in custody can and often does have lifelong effects on youth. Youth who are sexually abused or experience sexual violence can suffer higher rates of drug use, have disproportionate contact with the criminal justice system into adulthood, become victimizers, and/or have higher rates of mental illness than youth who do not suffer sexual abuse.
    • PREA in Action Webinar Series Embracing the Standards: Youth Corrections; Authors: Vera Institute of Justice PowerPoint slides for the webinar presented on September 13, 2012 titled PREA in Action Webinar Series Embracing the Standards: Youth Corrections.
    • Juvenile PREA Standards Documentation Requirements; Authors: The Moss Group This document is meant to assist agencies and facilities in their PREA compliance efforts. The standards listed are examples of juvenile PREA standards that explicitly require documentation of agency or facility activities through policy or other forms of documentation; agencies and facilities may find it beneficial to also document activities that are not listed below to demonstrate compliance.
• PREA 101 & How TWC Can Help
  • TWC presented trainings at Columbia County Prison and Montour County Jail regarding the PREA standards, how they will come into effect, how our agency can help, and what services we can provide any inmates who disclose sexual assault or harassment. 
  • An online webinar version of this presentation is available here.
    • Select “do not report, just start” and then select “Start.”
• Upcoming Webinars
  • The National PREA Resource Center offers regular webinars to help hone the skills of correctional staff in recognizing and reporting sexual assault/harassment disclosures. Additionally there are many wonderful educational opportunities for PREA Coordinators, as well. These webinars can be accessed here.