[RaisingTheBar] DOJ Standards, Helpful resources, and upcoming meeting

[Nicole de la Torre]

Dear Coalition Members,

 

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  Last week the Department of
Justice's PREA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was released and we
circulated a link to the proposed standards, attached please find a pdf
version of that document.  

 

Overall, our assessment of the DOJ's standards is that there were some
good improvements (such as requiring forensic exams in all medically and
evidentiary appropriate cases and mandating that staff training include
the additional topics of appropriate professional boundaries and
effective communications with LGBTI inmates), but the weakening of many
provisions raises serious concerns. For example, immigration detention
and non-residential probation and parole officers are no longer bound by
the standards and the protections regarding cross-gender supervision,
grievance/exhaustion procedures, and access to outside resources have
all been substantially weakened.  The public comment period also raises
questions that the DOJ has yet to resolve, including how oversight
should be conducted and what protections are needed for youth in adult
facilities.

 

Recognizing the significant length of the DOJ's proposed standards, JDI
has developed several documents that we hope will be helpful. Attached
please find: 

 

-          JDI's summary of the DOJ's PREA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

-          A chart comparing the DOJ's proposed standards to the
commission's proposed standards for adult facilities

-          A similar chart for youth facilities   

 

Coalition subgroups (LGBT, Faith-based, Victim Rights/Service Providers,
Youth, Immigration and Oversight groups) have been meeting (or will meet
this week) to begin discussing the standards and develop resources for
members to use during the public comment period. Next Wednesday,
February 9th at 3:00 p.m. EST we will have our general coalition meeting
where we will update the coalition on the subgroups' discussions and the
public comment period overall. It will be a very important meeting, we
hope everyone can make it. 

 

Thank you and feel free to contact me if you have any questions, 

 

Nicole 

 

 

Nicole de la Torre

Program Assistant

Just Detention International 

1900 L St. NW, Suite 601

Washington, DC 20036

tel.: 202-506-3333

fax: 202-506-7971

www.justdetention.org

www.twitter.com/JustDetention
http://www.facebook.com/JDIonFB

 

 

 

 

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