PREA

PREA

1. How does PREA impact the Juvenile Court of Mobile County/Strickland Youth Center?

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) addresses the detection, elimination and prevention of sexual abuse in all incarceration facilities throughout the United States. PREA directs the collection and dissemination of information on the incidence of juvenile on juvenile sexual violence as well as staff sexual misconduct with juveniles in custody.

2. To whom does PREA apply?

PREA applies to all public and private institutions that house juvenile and/or adult offenders, males or females. PREA is applicable to the smallest residential facility as well as facilities that hold hundreds of juveniles.

3. Prison Rape Elimination Action Acknowledgement Statement

The Juvenile Court of Mobile County/Strickland Youth Center has a ZERO-TOLERANCE policy of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. We are committed to ensuring a safe, humane and secure environment, free from the threat of sexual abuse and sexual harassment of all detainees and staff/volunteers/contracted personnel/interns.

4. How do I report sexual abuse or harassment?

If you suspect sexual abuse or harassment has happened at the Strickland Youth Center, you have several options for reporting. All reports are investigated and we take each of them very seriously. These options include:

· Contacting Facility Administration

o Marquita Erobu, Superintendent

§ (251)574-3186 – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

o Llewellyn Spencer, Asst. Superintendent (PREA Coordinator)

§ (251)574-3182 – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

· Contacting the Mobile Police Department

(251)208-1770

· Contacting the ADYS State PREA Coordinator

§ (334)215-3802

· Contacting the ADYS Sexual Assault Hotline

§ 1(855)332-1594

· You may also report using the Third Party Reporting for Sexual/Abuse/Support and Harassment form by clicking PREA forms.

Investigative Procedure PREA Standard 115.322

Policy:

The James T. Strickland Youth Center shall ensure that an administrative or criminal investigation is completed for all allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. it is the policy of this facility that all allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment are referred to an agency with the legal authority to conduct criminal investigations, unless the allegations does not involve potentially criminal behavior. All referrals shall be documented.

This policy shall be published on the facility’s website. if a separate entity is responsible for conducting criminal investigations the publication shall describe the responsibilities of both the facility and the investigating entity.

Any state entity responsible for conducting administrative or criminal investigations of sexual abuse or sexual harassment in juvenile facilities shall have in place a policy governing the conduct of such investigations.

Any Department of Justice component responsible for conducting administrative or criminal investigations of sexual abuse or sexual harassment in juvenile facilities shall have in place a policy governing the conduct of such investigations.

Procedure:

Any person having knowledge, suspicion, or information regarding an incident of sexual assault/harassment shall report this information to the supervisor on duty. The supervisor shall immediately notify the Superintendent of Detention. All allegations for sexual abuse/assault/harassment shall be investigated by the City of Mobile Police Department. Administrative and criminal investigations shall be conducted simultaneously with priority given to the criminal investigation. All referrals to outside agencies shall be documented.

A. Investigators

a. The Strickland Youth Center shall require the training of certain individuals as required in PREA Standard 115.334

b. Those trained individuals shall conduct any administrative investigations of sexual abuse and harassment allegations, if the allegation does not involve potentially criminal behavior

B. Investigations of sexual harassment allegations

Allegations of sexual harassment shall be investigated administratively by Youth Center investigators.

If the investigation shows that a staff member is involved in the sexual harassment allegations, and based on a preponderance of the evidence it is believed that the staff member committed

the harassment, the matter shall be turned over to the Alabama Department of Human Resources and/or district attorney’s office.

C. Investigations of sexual abuse allegations

Any allegation of sexual abuse that potentially involves criminal behavior shall be turned over the City of Mobile Police Department for investigation, especially in all cases

that may have happened within a time frame that allows for collection of physical evidence or if the allegation involves another staff member.

D. Staff at the Strickland Youth Center shall cooperate in every way with any investigation.

E. The Strickland Youth Center shall endeavor to remain informed of the progress of the investigation.