Q&A
Council Member Stevens proposes comprehensive investigation into sexual assault across correctional facilities
3:31:31
·
170 sec
Council Member Althea Stevens proposes a comprehensive investigation into sexual assault across various correctional facilities, including adult and juvenile centers. She emphasizes the importance of proper funding for the Department of Investigation (DOI) and suggests collaboration between the City Council and DOI to secure necessary resources. Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber acknowledges the proposal and mentions a recent report on juvenile facilities.
- Stevens highlights the interconnected nature of sexual assault issues across different facilities and age groups.
- The discussion touches on the need for budget allocation to support thorough investigations.
- Strauber notes parallels between juvenile and adult facilities in terms of sexual assault issues.
Althea Stevens
3:31:31
Thank you for being here.
3:31:33
And I think even as we're thinking about this and because, I guess, like, among this committee and my committee and and all the things that's happening and just thinking about from the investigation and and as you're putting us together, just trying to propose and think of this make sense of loud and more around, like, sexual assault in general and looking at it more comprehensively in the system and maybe having a big investigation in that since we know that this is happening.
3:31:56
And some of the dwell has happened and happening in the juvenile just juvenile centers and rackers and things like that and thinking about something more comprehensive because I'm always thinking about, like, what makes the most sense.
3:32:06
And, also, we all know that we don't have a well, we do have an abundant resources.
3:32:10
The problem is they like us to think we don't.
3:32:12
But thinking, you know, how do we work together to try to put something comprehensive in and then having an actual budget acts ready for us to me and and nurse to fight to to get in the budget.
3:32:25
I think, Glassier, the only person who's out there advocating for ZOI was counsel member Brewer, but that's because if there's no acts and it's not being processed, we don't know.
3:32:34
And I know for an agency like yours, it gets hard because a lot of times advocates are the ones pushing a lot of the the things, but I think especially how do you use all of the council members to kind of support the the things that you need in order for your agency to operate efficiently and getting the support that you need.
3:32:50
So was just I guess it wasn't a question, but it was just like a a a proposal of thinking about how do we look at this more holistically and not separate because I think that that's also problematic.
3:32:59
Right?
3:32:59
Because it's all interconnected.
3:33:01
And a lot of these actors end up in other agencies in in these places?
Jocelyn Strauber
3:33:06
Well, I I appreciate that.
3:33:07
And and, you know, you had you had asked the question about sexual abuse in the juvenile facilities, which we oversee.
3:33:14
We actually issued a substantial report last week or the week.
3:33:17
No.
Sandy Nurse
3:33:17
I'm sorry.
3:33:18
Alright.
3:33:19
About how
Althea Stevens
3:33:19
much is our long term issue later.
Jocelyn Strauber
3:33:21
We had not been that report is not focused on that issue, and I want to do a little more reading up on the lawsuit that you mentioned.
3:33:29
But certainly, we we try in in every situation where where it fits to think about sort of city wide solutions, and certainly one of the things I think we'd point out in our report is there are more parallels than you might have expected between the juvenile facilities and the adult facilities, which are obviously very unfortunate parallels.
3:33:48
And so, certainly, we're open to thinking about this in a in a broad way.
Althea Stevens
3:33:54
Just for me, it's understanding that a lot of the work has always attached to budget.
3:33:58
And so thinking about, 1, how do we work together to ensure that your agency is properly funded and also the support that you guys need because it is important work.
3:34:07
And I think now more than ever because as we're seeing, sometimes the things that we're trying to get at and information isn't available because agencies aren't making it available.
3:34:15
And we need to make sure that agency is accurate to properly fund it.
3:34:18
So thank you.
Sandy Nurse
3:34:21
Yeah.
3:34:22
What type of evidence or information does DOC typically provide when they inform the DOE duty team that there's been an allegation of sexual abuse?
