1. 2017 VOCA Conference Washington, DC
At the Center: Using the SART Model to Create Survivor-Centered Programs in Detention
2017 VOCA Conference
Washington, DC

2. Moderator
Ivette Estrada Justice Program Specialist Office for Victims of Crime

3. Presenters
Christina Presenti, SART Toolkit Coordinator National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Karla Vierthaler, Advocacy and Resource Director National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Linda McFarlane, Deputy Executive Director Just Detention International

4. NSVRC Mission and Vision
The NSVRC’s Mission is to provide leadership in preventing and responding to sexual violence through collaboration, sharing and creating resources, and promoting research. We envision a world where diversity is celebrated and all people are treated with dignity and respect and have full autonomy over their own bodies and sexual expression.

5. JDI Mission and Core Goals
JDI is a nonprofit health and human rights organization that seeks to end sexual violence in all forms of detention.
Core goals:
To hold government officials accountable
To change public attitudes about sexual violence behind bars
To ensure survivors get the help they need

6. JDI’s Core Principle
Photo credit: Sam Hodgson/Bloomberg

7. Special Thanks
This project is supported by a grant awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice.
The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed herein are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime.

8. Objectives
Understand the SART model and how to apply it in detention settings
Learn how to develop written agreements between victim services programs and detention facilities
Prepare to create programming to support incarcerated survivors, building on successful community-based models

9. Agenda SARTs PREA Standards and Coordinated Response
Building Successful Partnerships
Examples from the Field
Developing Written Agreements
VI. Questions & Resources
Beverly was sexually abused by a female officer in a Texas prison. She was transferred to a maximum security prison far away from her family after reporting the abuse.

10. TWO MILLION FIVE MILLION
men, women, and children are incarcerated in the U.S.
FIVE MILLION
are on probation or parole .
Source: Prison Policy Initiative, Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie, March 2017

11. A Human Rights Crisis
Over 200,000 people are abused each year in US prisons and jails.
Source: Dr. Allen Beck, Bureau of Justice Statistics, as quoted in Shame of our Prisons: New Evidence, New York Review of Books, October 2013

12. Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)
A multi-disciplinary team designed to coordinate a survivor-centered response to sexual assault

13. The SART Response
SURVIVOR-CENTERED
COORDINATED
IMMEDIATE

14. Goals of the SART Model in Corrections
Encourage survivor healing and well-being
Strengthen investigations
Eliminate sexual violence
Ensure compliance with PREA
The goal of the SART model is to promote and safeguard the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of survivors of sexual abuse while increasing the likelihood that perpetrators of this abuse will be successfully prosecuted and held accountable. SARTs have been very effective in the community and in corrections institutions at helping to develop a more victim-centered or survivor-centered response to sexual abuse and strengthening investigations.
In the corrections setting, SARTs greatly facilitate compliance with the PREA standards, in ways we’ll discuss in more detail briefly. All of this supports the overarching goals of ensuring a sound response to sexual abuse, bringing into detention settings the practices that have worked to more effectively address sexual abuse out in the community, and lowering rates of sexual violence behind bars.
Michelle, a transgender woman who was threatened with rape while in the Los Angeles County Jail 14

15. Institution-Based SARTs
Lead agency efforts to eliminate sexual abuse, through prevention, detection, and response efforts
Draw expertise from key departments and ranks within the agency
Monitor and evaluate facility compliance with PREA standards and conduct incident review

16. Michelle-Lael’s Story

17. Common Survivor Requests
Emotional support
Institutional advocacy
Making or following up on reports
Housing changes and other safety concerns
Challenging a disciplinary action or retaliation
Legal assistance
Legal representation
Pro se representation

18. II. SARTs and the PREA Standards
Institutional Coordinated Response Plan (§115.65)
A written plan to coordinate actions taken in response to an incident of sexual abuse, amongst first responders, medical and mental health practitioners, investigators and facility leadership.
To be clear, the PREA standards do not require a formal SART – but they do require a coordinated plan as specified in this standard. While the SART model may present some challenges or limitations in some correctional settings, it is a best practice that facilities should strive to develop, and that you can adapt to fit your particular circumstances and size.
MDCR agency employees

19. SARTs and the PREA Standards
Institution-based SARTs help to comply with:
Access to outside confidential support services
Staff and agency reporting duties
Coordinated response
Evidence protocol & forensic medical exams
Briefly explain that SARTS (which is a best practice) will help to comply with many of the required standards.
Evidence protocol and forensic medical examinations (§115.21)
Policies to ensure referrals of allegations for investigations (§115.22)
Inmate reporting (§115.51)
Inmate access to outside confidential support services (§115.53)
Staff and agency reporting duties (§115.61)
Reporting to other confinement facilities (§115.63)
Staff first responder duties (§115.64)

20. SARTs and the PREA Standards
Institution-based SARTs help to comply with:
Medical and mental health care for sexual abuse victims and abusers
Investigations
Informing victimized inmates of outcomes
Sexual abuse incident reviews
Coordinated response (§115.65)
Agency protection against retaliation (§115.67)
Criminal and administrative agency investigations (§115.71)
Reporting to inmates (§115.73)
Access to emergency medical and mental health services (§115.82)
Ongoing medical and mental health care for sexual abuse victims and abusers (§115.83)
Sexual abuse incident reviews (§115.86)

21. Institution-Based SARTs
Teams might include:
Administrator
Classification Supervisor
Chief of Security
Transportation Officer
Internal Affairs Investigator
Mental Health Staff
Medical Staff

22. Institution-Based SARTs: Key Members
Community SART members:
Law Enforcement
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner
(SANE)
Rape Crisis Advocate
Prosecutor
Ultimately, even if your institution-based SART doesn’t include all of these entities and individuals from the community in a formal manner, having a relationship with them can be really helpful, as they can serve as mentors or advisors to your SART.  
Additionally, participation in a local community-based SART can also be very beneficial. That is, instead of your facility having to undertake the development of a SART, you can check and see if there is already a SART already existing in your community to serve victims of sexual abuse. That entity will include the parties listed here, and you can look into attending their next meeting and formally becoming a member. Particularly for smaller facilities, this may be the best option, or at least the best initial option. It will give you a seat at the table with local rape crisis centers, forensic nurse examiners, district attorneys, local law enforcement agencies, victims assistance offices and similar bodies.
Photo by Michael Fullan.

23. Program Examples – NSVRC
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
OVC’s SART Toolkit

24. Program Examples – Miami
Comprehensive victim services model
Internal and community SART
Culture change through modeling, collaboration, training, and services
PREA Peer Educators in Miami address the SART

25. Facility-level SARTs at MDCR
Lead the Department’s efforts to eliminate sexual abuse with a multi- disciplinary team
Developed the SART protocol
Overseen by the PREA Compliance Manager
Meet once per month or as directed by the PREA Coordinator

26. Align SART Protocol with PREA Standards

27. Garrett’s Story

28. Group Exercise: Putting it in place
Listen to Garrett’s Story. Thinking about the SART model and OVC programming:
What help does he need?
How might what happened to him have been prevented?
What can be put into place in terms of: programming, written agreements, and coordinated teams to help people like Garrett?

29. Final Thoughts Survivors need: A compassionate witness
Connection with the outside world
Validation
Remember that some support is far better than none

32. www.justdetention.org/ advocate-resources
Advocates Manual
SART Toolkit
Archived Webinars
Technical Assistance Request Form
PREA Resource Center: prearesourcecenter.org
Advocate Resources:
advocate-resources

33. Resource Guide for Survivors
Add your agency to JDI’s Resource Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse Behind Bars: bit.ly/VDap7j
To add your agency to the Resource Guide please complete the form found at:

34. For More Information
For additional information, please visit JDI’s Advocate Resource page: Direct questions to: For more information about Just Detention International, visit Connect with JDI: