5. Reporting

The standards require agencies to provide at least two internal reporting avenues and at least one way to report abuse to a public or private entity or office that is not part of the agency in order to allow inmates, detainees, and residents to remain anonymous upon request. An agency must also provide a way for third parties to report such abuse on behalf of an inmate, detainee, or resident. In addition, agencies are required to provide inmates and residents with access to outside victim advocates for emotional support services related to sexual abuse by giving them contact information for local, state, or national victim advocacy or rape crisis organizations and by enabling reasonable communication between inmates/residents and these organizations, with as much confidentiality as possible.

STANDARDS. Click on the following links to access the reporting standards for Adult Prisons and Jails, Community Confinement Facilities, Juvenile Facilities, and Lockups.

Issues

Reporting - Issues - Access to outside support services

Access to outside support services

Like the evidence protocol and forensic medical examinations standard (Standard 115.21/115.121/115.221/115/321), Standard 115.53/115.253/115.3534 recognizes the unique role of rape crisis center advocates in providing support, crisis intervention, information, and referrals to victims. This standard requires facilities to provide inmates and residents with access to victim advocates for emotional support services related to sexual abuse by supplying mailing addresses and telephone numbers of local, state, or national victim advocacy or rape crisis organizations. Facilities are required to provide access to immigrant services agencies for persons detained solely for civil immigration purposes in adult prisons, jails, or juvenile facilities. (Note that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released proposed standards for DHS confinement facilities.) The standard further requires facilities to enable reasonable communication between inmates/residents and these organizations, in as confidential a manner as possible. Juvenile facilities must also provide residents with reasonable access to their attorneys or other legal representation and to parents or legal guardians.


[4] This standard does not apply to lockups.

Resources

Reporting - Resources - General

General