Department Embarks on PREA Training Effort

In a collaborative effort, The North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and American University’s Washington College of Law, presented the Train the Trainer curriculum for “Building Staff and Youth Capacity to Address Sexual Violence Against Youth in Custody.”  The training was conducted at the North Carolina Justice Academy in Salemburg, NC from August 2 through August 4.

Secretary Linda Hayes and Chief Operating Officer Robin Jenkins were on hand to open the training with strong expectations for the department’s PREA initiative and the importance of “endorsing very high standards in areas concerning the care, custody, protection, and treatment of our youth.”  They were supportive and appreciative of the efforts it took to make this training happen.

The training included an overview and update on the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, North Carolina Criminal Laws and Policy, Adolescent Development and Sexuality, Managing Vulnerable Youth, Agency and Youth Culture, Medical and Mental Health Care, Management and Operational Practices, Investigating and Prosecuting Sexual Abuse of Youth in Custody, Human Resources and Administrative Sanctions, and Legal Considerations.  Participants were administered a pre-test initially and completed a post-test at the end of the training session.  The project evaluator Dan Lucas collected feedback from the participants concerning each session.  The training was presented by:  Brenda V. Smith, the Building Capacity Project Director; Jaime M. Yarussi, Project Coordinator; Peter Kuhns, Senior Psychologist at C.A. Dillon YDC; Virginia Pirrello, Facility Treatment Services Manager; Cindy Thacker, Staff Development Director; Janet Clarke-McLean, Central Regional Psychological Program Manager; Kathy Dudley, Deputy Secretary for Facility Operations and Celisa Lehew, Major Crimes Investigator with the Chapel Hill Police Department.

The participants, who are now ready to train facility staff, are as follows:  Felicia Banks; Jeff Boguslofski; Marty Brown, Debby Burchfield; Jim Cavanaugh; Sheryl Conrad; Kim Cowart; Kim Davis-Gore; Jim Deloatch; Lisa Freeman; Stephen Horton; Bakari Johnson; Irene Johnson; Sandra McKeown; Stanley Melvin; Steve Partenheimer; Roger Reynolds; Jim Speight; Jean Steinberg; Brian Sweet and Claude Wilkins.  The training provided a broad overview and the trainers will be working to adapt the curriculum to fit the needs of the different disciplines within the department.  Facility staff will be trained initially, then court services staff and community program staff.

There is a tiered training plan that consists of Awareness for all department staff; an Informed Practice component that facility-based direct care, clinical, medical and management staff will attend; a Management Specialist component for Central Office/Facility Managers and Area Administrators; and a Quality Assurance/Human Resources Specialist component for Human Resource Managers, Quality Assurance staff, Agency Attorney and Central Office Managers.