PATHWAY - Services

FAQ

1. How does PREA impact the Juvenile Court system of Alabama, Pathway, Inc and Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC?

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 system of Alabama, Pathway, Inc and Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC have 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 clients and staff, volunteers, contracted personnel, and interns.

How do I report sexual abuse or harassment?

If you suspect sexual abuse or harassment has happened at Pathway, Inc or Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC, you have several options for reporting. All reports are investigated and Pathway takes each report very seriously. These options include:

· Contacting the Agency PREA Compliance Manager

· Pathway, Inc; Campus I (New Brockton): Fred Jones, 334.443.0705, fjones@pathway-inc.com

· Pathway, Inc; Campus II (Ozark, AL): Mark Sullivan, 334.330.0029, msullivan@pathway-inc.com

· Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC (Atmore, AL): Grace McGee, 251.405.3107, gmcgee@pathway-inc.com

· Pathway of Mitnick (Jasper, AL): Candace Smith, 205.717.0538, casmith@pathway-inc.com

· Contacting the Agency PREA Coordinator

· Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC (Atmore, AL): Kimberly Fail, 251.405.3107, kfail@pathway-inc.com

· 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:

Pathway, Inc. and Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC shall ensure that an administrative or criminal investigation is completed for all allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. It is the policy of all Pathway facilities 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 do 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 Program Director. All allegations for sexual abuse/assault/harassment shall be investigated by the jurisdictional 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. Pathway, Inc and Pathway of Baldwin County LLC 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. Internal investigation of sexual harassment allegation

Allegations of sexual harassment shall be internally administratively investigated by Pathway Sexual Abuse Response Team (SART). If the investigation determines 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 jurisdictional 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 Pathway, Inc and Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC shall cooperate in every way with any investigation.

E. The leadership of Pathway, Inc and Pathway of Baldwin County, LLC shall endeavor to remain informed of the progress of the investigation.

PRC

Impact Justice was awarded a cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to implement the National PREA Resource Center (PRC). The PRC’s aim is to provide assistance to those responsible for state and local adult prisons and jails, juvenile facilities, community corrections, lockups, tribal organizations, and inmates and their families in their efforts to eliminate sexual abuse in confinement.

This website consists of an extensive library, stories of efforts at compliance from around the country, information about national trainings, webinars, resources including tool kits and model policies, and a direct link to PRC staff who can answer your questions. As the corrections and law enforcement fields work to comply with Department of Justice standards, the PRC will assist that effort with the necessary training, expertise, and resources.