Healing is for Everyone: Bringing Services to Incarcerated Sexual Abuse Survivors

In May 2013, OVC released the Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services Final Report. The Vision 21 initiative examined the current framework of the victim assistance field in the United States. The initiative was the first comprehensive assessment of the field in nearly 15 years. The FY 2015 Vision 21 Innovation Grants: Enhancing and Transforming Services for Victims of Crime solicitation furthers the goals of Vision 21 through eight purpose areas. Purpose area three under this solicitation sets aside funding for a national training and technical assistance program for VOCA state administrators, state and tribal sexual assault coalitions, and local rape crisis providers, and correctional officials on the unique needs of incarcerated victims of sexual abuse; the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards; and practices that leverage community-level resources to build partnerships between state administrators, sexual assault victim service providers, and correctional and juvenile detention facilities.

Through this project, Just Detention International (JDI) will develop a nationwide training and technical assistance program that reaches the key players responsible for establishing quality services for incarcerated survivors. JDI will inspire and motivate VOCA administrators, state and tribal sexual assault coalitions, local rape crisis centers, and corrections officials to develop meaningful programs and services for incarcerated sexual abuse survivors; build the capacity of all the key players to address the needs of incarcerated survivors by increasing their knowledge of sexual abuse in detention, the unique needs of incarcerated survivors, PREA and the national standards, and the anticipated change to the VOCA Rule; and mobilize all key players to work together and establish services for incarcerated survivors. CA/NCF