Winnebago County Juvenile Detention Center Receives Federal Accreditation The Winnebago County Juvenile Detention is pleased to announce the facility has passed its PREA Audit becoming the fourth out of fifteen statewide facilities to receive this recognition. PREA stands for Prison Rape Elimination Act and is a federal law enacted in 2003. The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) established forty-three PREA standards to help guide facility practices to keep residents safe from sexual abuse and sexual harassment. These PREA standards are required guidelines used by USDOJ Certified PREA Auditors to determine compliance with PREA Law. Over the course of the past six months, the dedicated staff at the detention center worked hard to satisfy the stringent PREA requirements, receiving guidance from PREA Consulting, LLC. Recent areas of focus included expanding staff for direct supervision, enhancing PREA signage, improving PREA investigation forms used during inquiries, developing and implementing a direct supervision staffing schedule, providing resident education on PREA, conducting training for both residents and staff on PREA, and increasing accessibility to reporting channels and PREA procedures for residents. The certification is the direct result of the efforts of the entire detention staff, particularly PREA Coordinator Rachael Carmack, Superintendent Julie McCray-Grotto and Assistant Superintendent Richard Ritt. “The best thing about receiving PREA compliance is that we’re continuously building a lasting culture that protects our residents so they can focus on developing their bright futures,” said PREA Coordinator Rachael Carmack. PDF of Press Release
