Long before anonymous data from a single federal survey raised concerns about sexual abuse in some Georgia juvenile detention centers, Georgia’s Department of Juvenile Justice took serious and meaningful steps to protect the youth in our facilities.
Our employees received training based on the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, called PREA. The law defines sexual victimization as “any unwanted sexual activity between youth, and all sexual activity between youth and staff.”
Georgia’s PREA programming efforts were launched in 2011 under the guidance of juvenile justice Commissioners Amy Howell and L. Gale Buckner. The department’s investigative staff received its first PREA training in November 2011. Also, the department received a federal grant in the fall of 2011 allowing Georgia juvenile justice to hire a full-time PREA program coordinator.
Senior leadership training and facility assessments continued last autumn as part of juvenile justice’s Prison Rape Elimination program implementation. Based on the department’s early national lead in PREA programming, a Georgia delegation was invited to demonstrate examples of its current programming advances at a national corrections conference for other juvenile detention leaders.
Since his appointment by Gov. Nathan Deal, Commissioner Avery D. Niles has helped juvenile justice’s reputation develop as a rising national leader in PREA program integration. Commissioner Niles remains focused on attaining a zero tolerance policy for PREA violations. The department’s goal is to ensure a sexually safe environment for youth in state care and custody.
A leading advocacy group released an outside study this spring funded in part by the Justice Department, stating that Department of Juvenile Justice leadership continues to send “a clear message of zero tolerance and commitment to PREA compliance. DJJ has built a strong foundation to comprehensively address the PREA standards and recognizes the importance of leadership and culture in fully achieving sexual safety.”
As part of juvenile justice’s public transparency policy, Georgia launched one of the most proactive youth detention education PREA programs in the country. At 27 juvenile detention facilities, the program begins teaching new arrivals how to stay alert and report sexual misconduct from the day they arrive.
The department has also launched an innovative, online, Intelligence Tipline for reporting sexual abuse. With GBI assistance, juvenile justice supports priority investigations and prosecutions for all substantiated prison rape complaints.
Through PREA education and awareness, juvenile justice has been building a new “reporting culture,” so residents won’t be intimidated about seeking help if they encounter sexual abuse or harassment. Commissioner Niles wants youth in custody to know it’s OK to break the silence and say “no” to sexual abuse inside or outside Georgia’s secure facilities.
For Prison Rape Elimination Act information, visit www.djjnewsandviews.org/preageorgia.
J. Mark Sexton is chief of staff at the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.
