Incarcerated Survivors

Medium

Topic

Help for incarcerated victims in Washington State

Are you an inmate calling from a Washington prison, jail, or work release program or calling on behalf of an inmate?

This is the ONLY number inmates can call that won't be recorded and is guaranteed to be confidential: (855) 210-2087

In Washington State, there is a Sexual Assault Support and Information Line that is operated by an independent agency outside of the Department of Corrections.

  • Services through this line are free.
  • Calls are not recorded and do not require your PIN.
  • This is the only number guaranteed to be confidential

If you’ve been affected by sexual assault or abuse, you can call this line for private support services at (855) 210-2087. The Support and Information Line hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Ayuda para víctimas encarceladas en el estado de Washington

¿Es usted un preso que llama desde una prisión o cárcel o programa de liberación laboral de Washington o llama usted en nombre de un preso?

Este es el ÚNICO número al cual los presos pueden llamar que no se registrará y se garantiza ser confidencial: (855) 210-2087

En el estado de Washington, existe una línea de información y apoyo en casos de agresión sexual operada por una agencia independiente fuera del Departamento de Correcciones.

  • Los servicios a través de esta línea son gratuitos.
  • Las llamadas no se graban y no requieren su PIN.
  • Este es el único número garantizado a ser confidencial.

Si ha sido afectado por una agresión o abuso sexual, puede llamar a esta línea para servicios de apoyo privados al (855) 210-2087. El horario de la Línea de asistencia e información es de lunes a viernes 8:00 - 17:00

What is PREA?

The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA) is the first federal law passed to address sexual violence in prisons and jails. PREA states that sexual assault in detention can constitute a violation of the eighth amendment of the U.S. Constitution and requires that facilities adopt a zero-tolerance approach to this form of abuse. PREA's requirements apply to all detention facilities, including federal and state prisons, jails, police lock-ups, private facilities, and immigration detention centers.

PREA created the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC), which was charged with recommending to the Attorney General standards for responding to and preventing sexual violence in confinement. After reviewing the proposed standards and receiving input, the Attorney General published the final rule containing these standards for public comment in May 2012, and it became effective on August 20, 2012. The standards apply to federal and state prisons, jails, juvenile detention facilities, lockup and community confinement. The Department of Homeland Security was responsible for writing the PREA Standards that apply to immigration detention facilities. Those standards were not finalized until February 2014.

PREA in Washington State

WCSAP was fortunate to receive an initial PREA grant award in 2004 to work collaboratively with stakeholders and the Washington State Department of Corrections on PREA considerations. The funding supported critical partnerships, the development of internal practices for the Department, and training and resource development for sexual assault community advocates in Washington State. To date, the state continues to address PREA issues.

The PREA standards require that inmates have access to external, confidential victim services. In 2012, shortly after the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards were finalized, WCSAP began meeting with the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA) and the Washington State Department of Corrections (WADOC) to discuss implementation of the PREA Victim Services Standards in prison and work release facilities in our state. The purpose of this partnership is to create a statewide, coordinated response to sexual assault advocacy services for individuals incarcerated in DOC prison and work release facilities in Washington.

To read more about the partnership and project, you can view our recent issue of Connections on Advocacy with Incarcerated Survivors of Sexual Violence in Washington State. In addition, WCSAP and the other state partners were featured on the national webinar "Developing Partnerships with Community-Based Service Providers Part I." The webinar and the PowerPoint presentation are archived on the PREA Resource Center website. Contact WCSAP for more information about this ongoing project. 

In our ongoing effort to ensure confidential advocacy services are available to all survivors, including survivors in jails, juvenile detention, prisons, and work release facilities, WCSAP recently convened a work group of corrections stakeholders, who are leaders in their respective fields. This work group, and ongoing consultation with community-based advocates in Washington State, is informing WCSAP's continued work on this essential issue.

WCSAP members can seek support for their work with incarcerated survivors of sexual violence by contacting WCSAP. Please note that some funding sources have restrictions that may prohibit providing services to incarcerated individuals. Programs should consult with their funders to ensure services are supported.

Resources on WCSAP

Resources on Other Websites