Q&A
DOC's definitions of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior
2:09:12
·
3 min
Council Member Cabán presses DOC officials on their definitions of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior. Key points include:
- DOC's definition of sexual abuse, which includes crimes under New York State penal laws
- Discussion of 'red flags' and grooming behaviors
- Cabán's frustration with the lack of clear definitions for inappropriate relationships and interactions
- DOC's reliance on 'undue familiarity' as a classification for certain behaviors
Tiffany Cabán
2:09:12
In addition to that, I wanna ask for just some other definitions because I wanna know how this work is being done.
2:09:20
How does DOC specifically define sex abuse currently.
Seton Saco
2:09:28
Still working.
Ingris Martinez
2:09:29
So under the sorry.
2:09:31
Sorry.
Tiffany Cabán
2:09:31
My echo my echo thinks I'm talking to it.
2:09:35
Go ahead.
2:09:39
Yeah.
2:09:39
Something did go wrong.
2:09:40
I mean okay.
2:09:42
Go ahead.
Ingris Martinez
2:09:42
Okay.
2:09:43
So under the federal standards, sexual abuse or any sex crimes, including the New York State penal laws, such crimes under
Tiffany Cabán
2:09:54
the 1 thirties, and inappropriate touching that is not within the context of the officer or staff person's job scope.
2:10:06
Okay.
2:10:07
So does DOC additionally define any so called red flags prior to sex abuse such as grooming behavior or propensity towards such actions?
Ingris Martinez
2:10:15
Okay.
2:10:16
So let me talk about what else entails in our investigations.
2:10:19
So we also do unannounced rounds, which is under the detection portion of our investigations.
2:10:27
And part of the detection is ensuring holding our frontline supervisory staff and the facilities responsible for doing tours looking for those spaces where are are not highly visible to the officer on on the floor, making tours into, you know, under sensitivity, of course, into the into the bathrooms ensuring that each of the showers has one person, not 2 persons, ensuring that those grooming types of I'm sorry.
Tiffany Cabán
2:10:55
I'm just gonna ask for a second because
UNKNOWN
2:10:56
you're not
Tiffany Cabán
2:10:56
answering my question.
2:10:57
I'm asking if you have any official definitions for red flags such as grooming behavior or propensity towards such actions?
James Conroy
2:11:08
Counsel, ma'am, we also have there's a classification of discipline and an investigation called undue familiarity, much of which falls within the types of behaviors that you're talking about.
Tiffany Cabán
2:11:19
What falls within that.
James Conroy
2:11:20
I'm sorry?
Tiffany Cabán
2:11:21
What can you list out about
James Conroy
2:11:22
improving behaviors?
2:11:23
That would be something about inappropriate relationships and and interactions between PICs and staff, also between staff and staff.
Tiffany Cabán
2:11:31
Okay.
2:11:31
And what is that?
2:11:32
What are inappropriate relationships or interactions?
James Conroy
2:11:35
I mean, I think that speaks for itself.
2:11:37
You know, anything that's outs Anything that's outs well, no.
2:11:40
It's not the problem.
2:11:41
It it's actually anything that folds outside the scope of the employment and the duties and responsibilities of the officers.
Tiffany Cabán
2:11:48
With all due respect, and I'm gonna brain myself here.
2:11:53
We have such a proliferation of varying levels of sexual abuse where and I'm gonna gender in this moment, but I know that everybody experiences these things across the board no matter what your gender is, where there are plenty of times as a woman that I have interacted with a man who thinks that their behavior was absolutely appropriate.
2:12:16
So I think you do as as an administration, as an agency, have a responsibility to lay out exactly what kind of behavior is inappropriate because I gotta tell you, it is not a well enough known thing.
2:12:30
Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
2:12:33
So I'm gonna ask you again because it doesn't speak for itself.
2:12:37
Testimony of people here today proves that it doesn't speak for itself.
2:12:41
Can you please list out what behaviors fall under inappropriate actions and relationships?
James Conroy
2:12:49
Yes.
2:12:49
I I don't have these specific actions memorize IT IS LAID OUT IN THE RULES OF REGULATION TO THE OFFICER SO WE COULD CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THE VERY SPECIFIC WE HAVE.
Konstantin Yelisavetskiy
2:12:58
WE WOULD
Sandy Nurse
2:12:58
HAVE A FEWAN TECK.
James Conroy
2:12:59
I'M SURE.
Sandy Nurse
2:12:59
I'M SURE.
Tiffany Cabán
2:12:59
I'M SURE.
James Conroy
2:13:00
I'M SURE.
2:13:01
I DIDN'T HEAR YOUR LAST PART.
