REFERRALS OF ALLEGATIONS

1. POLICY:                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
   RVCP will ensure that an administrative or criminal investigation is completed for all allegations of sexual abuse or sexual harassment.  Criminal investigations are to be conducted by the Rock County Sheriff’s Department.
    

2. Procedures                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
   Upon report of sexual abuse, the RVCP Staff taking the report (first responder) will get initial information and then contact a RVCP staff member that has received training in the investigative process.
   
   The staff positions that will receive training in the investigative process are:
   
   Residential Director/PREA Coordinator
   Social Service Coordinator
   Lead Shift Supervisor
   2nd Shift Supervisor
   3rd Shift Supervisor
   Lead Case Manager

 

These staff members will complete the National Institute of Corrections Investigator’s training and documentation will be maintained in their personnel file. The RVCP Training Coordinator will ensure a refresher training is completed every other year with documentation of the refresher training maintained in their personnel file.

 

Where criminal acts are immediately apparent (bleeding, bruising, other physical signs, etc.), the investigator will contact the Rock County Sheriff’s Department who will immediately take over the investigation.

 

Where it is not immediately apparent what the situation is, the investigator will begin their process in order to make a determination if the investigation will be turned over to the Rock County Sheriff’s Department.

 

All investigations will begin promptly following the report of the sexual abuse or harassment.  The first responder will contact the on-call supervisor if no trained investigators are currently at the facility.  The on-call supervisor will immediately report to the facility to perform the investigation or contact another RVCP Staff member trained in the investigation process to report to the facility immediately.

 

Investigators will gather and preserve direct and circumstantial evidence, including any available physical and DNA evidence and any available electronic monitoring data; will interview alleged victims, suspected perpetrators, and witnesses; and will review prior complaints and reports of sexual abuse involving the suspected perpetrator.

Administrative investigations will include an effort to determine whether staff actions or failures to act contributed to the abuse; and will be documented in a written report that includes a description of the physical and testimonial evidence, the reasoning behind credibility assessments, and investigative facts and findings.

 

Criminal investigations shall be documented in a written report that contains a thorough description of physical, testimonial, and documentary evidence and attaches copies of all documentary evidence where feasible.

 

RVCP will retain all written reports referenced in this policy for as long as the alleged abuser is incarcerated or employed by the agency, plus five years.

 

The departure of the alleged abuser or victim from the employment or control of the facility or agency will not provide a basis for terminating an investigation.

 

When the Rock County Sheriff’s Department investigates allegations of sexual abuse or harassment, RVCP staff will cooperate fully and the Residential Director/PREA Coordinator will remain informed about the progress of the investigation.

 

All referrals to Rock County Sheriff’s Department will be documented by the Residential Director/PREA Coordinator.