Sheriff: Detention center only PREA-compliant jail in state

The Garland County Detention Center, both the adult and juvenile facilities, are now the only two jail facilities in Arkansas that are 100 percent compliant with the Prison Rape Elimination Act passed by Congress in 2003.

"We're the only detention or jail facility that meets all the PREA requirements," Garland County Sheriff Mike McCormick said Thursday, giving full credit to "the hard work and dedication" of Chief Deputy of Corrections Steven Elrod and the staffs of both centers.

"It's about policies and procedures that are in place and reviewed on a regular basis to make sure our inmates are safe," McCormick said. "But it's more than that. It's about building a culture not only among the inmates but with the staff, that with any type of sexual assault or sexual harassment we have zero tolerance."

A certified PREA auditor visited the facilities at the end of last year for a pre-audit and "kind of gave us an interim report," Elrod said Thursday. "It was the first audit we ever had and there were a few areas we needed to tighten up on. We were able to meet every expectation he had" when the auditor returned for the final audit the first week of April.

"These are very strict standards," McCormick said. "He was tough on us. We had to meet those standards in order to get certified."

The purpose of the PREA was to "provide for the analysis of the incidence and effects of prison rape in federal, state, and local institutions and to provide information, resources, recommendations and funding to protect individuals from prison rape."

Elrod said they do have incidents and they post reports on their website which "breaks down" how many reports have been received, but they have not had any actual rapes at the new facility. "They were sexual harassment complaints and we were able to intervene in those because of direct supervision and put a stop to a lot of that."

He said the direct supervision philosophy used at the Garland County Detention Center was "a huge factor" in not only being compliant with the PREA but "for overall safety and security. We're able to respond to any incident within seconds rather than minutes, whether it's a sexual assault or a battery."

The staff is able to "judge behavioral changes in inmates because they interact with them on a daily basis. They are able to pick up on little cues throughout the day," Elrod said.

McCormick said another factor was "stressing to the inmates they have a right to report any abuse or harassment" and training the staff and inmates about the importance of reporting any incidents.

"An important point is that no matter what the inmate has done, sexual abuse or harassment is not part of the penalty. You have to remember many of the inmates we've got are pretrial. They haven't been convicted of anything," McCormick said.

Elrod said the detention center deputies are "quick to respond" to problems, but they also have 24/7 medical staff "on hand that can help to intervene as well." He noted inmates can report harassment or abuse "not just to the deputies, but to the volunteers, medical staff, food service staff, they have plenty of opportunities to report it."

McCormick stressed it doesn't have to be a written complaint or report. "It can just be a verbal comment to someone."

Elrod said it was hard to gauge the level of problems they had at the previous facility on Ouachita Avenue because of lack of reporting. "Inmates didn't know how to report it. Staff didn't know how to report it or respond to it. It's hard to say what went on."

He noted they use an objective classification system in screening inmates at the new detention center. "When they first come in, we review their past history, everything in the database, and we can use that to separate potential predators from potential victims."

He said they have an intake area where they can hold inmates for up to 72 hours as they develop their classification before they go to their permanent housing assignment.

Elrod said the PREA audit was "very important" and credited the center's two PREA compliance managers, Capt. Belinda Cosgrove, and Lt. Russell Severns, with their success.

"They were two key components in this," he said, noting the process was "very time consuming for them" and had to be done in addition to their normal duties.

He said the staff sets three main goals each year and "strive for them throughout the year," all leading to their ultimate goal to be accredited through the American Correctional Association, a distinction only 3 percent of facilities in the country have achieved.

"It's a very lofty goal," Elrod said, noting the PREA audit was "one of the steps to achieve that." He said they have been working toward accreditation for three years and "it's not uncommon to take several years to achieve it. It may take us 10 years to be able to get it, but we're constantly striving and setting high expectations for our staff."

Elrod said GCDC has more certified jail officers, including three who recently achieved it, than any other detention center in Arkansas or all the surrounding states. "Some bigger cities in places like Florida and California are ahead of us, but we're catching up to them. Right here in Garland County."

McCormick said, "Undoubtedly, we're the premiere detention center in Arkansas. Soon we will be the premier jail in the country. (The PREA audit) is a continuation of us maintaining that high level. People come from all over the country to tour this facility."

Stressing the importance of transparency when it comes to the workings of the detention center, Elrod said, "Things change. But good, bad or indifferent, we want the public to know the challenges we face."

He noted the staff work in "a tough environment and anything we can do to make it a decent workplace for them, we will strive for that. We set the absolute highest goals we possibly can to reach everyone's full potential. We're always pushing ourselves higher and higher."

"Who knows? Ten years from now we might have the top 3 percent of jails in the nation coming to see us, to see how we do it."

Local on 06/23/2018

Upcoming Events