Kala Kachmar
Montgomery Advertiser
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — An 18-month contract between the Alabama Department of Corrections and The Moss Group includes a detailed plan to make improvements at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka.
In February, Prison Commissioner Kim Thomas declared a state of emergency in a letter to Gov. Robert Bentley because of the reports of alleged sexual abuse and harassment of Tutwiler inmates.
The letter, prompted by the expansion of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation of the facility in January, asked Bentley to allow the department to hire the group to “alleviate” the situation. The DOJ letter and report came after a report from the DOJ’s National Institute of Corrections (NIC) and after several from the Montgomery nonprofit legal firm Equal Justice Initiative (EJI).
The Department of Corrections will pay The Moss Group $499,900 between now and October 2015. That includes all materials, labor, overhead and transportation costs needed to meet the scope of services, according to the contract.
The company will primarily focus on improving sexual safety and making sure Tutwiler is in compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).
The Moss Group has developed several PREA training guides paid for and used by the NIC and the PREA Resource Center, including investigating sexual abuse in corrections settings, implementing PREA in adult and juvenile facilities, policy development for LGBTI in adult and juvenile prisons and sexual violence in women’s prisons.
One of the initiatives in the contract includes a plan to help train staff and develop a plan to manage 350 new cameras expected to be installed and operational by mid-July, Thomas said. The group also will make recommendations on where to install mirrors.
“They’ll basically assist us in training staff for the proper use of the equipment,” Thomas said.
Funding for the $1 million camera system was included in ADOC’s current budget, and the facility currently is in the construction phase. The only cameras currently at Tutwiler are in the mental health unit, Thomas said.
Another important strategy will address investigations of abuse and assault, which is an area that was identified as a huge problem in several reports.
The Moss Group will analyze PREA and non-PREA investigation reports to identify trends, as well as map the investigation process from when the allegation is made to the conclusion. The map will clarify staff roles, responsibilities and time frames, as well as identify gaps in PREA compliance.
After the mapping is complete, the company will provide specialized investigative training for all staff involved in the process.
“We will be using what we learn from the exercise to make changes to policies and practice to make the investigation process more efficient and more effective,” Thomas said.
Other strategies include an action plan that will help create sexual safety at Tutwiler, gender-responsive training and technical assistance for staff, an inmate survey on perception of safety and a long-term strategy for changing the culture at the facility.
Thomas also said he plans to have discussions with Bentley and Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, about legislation that would allow the governor’s office to hire an ombudsman to help address concerns and complaints of female inmates.
Thomas said he needs to get a better idea of what was envisioned before determining what role The Moss Group might have in that process.
“It does help satisfy a PREA standard, which requires agencies to have an independent third-party for women offenders to file complaints to,” Thomas said.
Thomas said The Moss Group will be implementing strategies as they become relevant over the next 18 months. One strategy will be determining the placement of women in a new Wetumpka Women’s Facility that will open in the summer of 2015, Thomas said.
ADOC got additional funding in next year’s budget to finish the project, Thomas said. The facility will hold about 300 to 400 women, and will be used to house some of the inmate population at Tutwiler and the nearby annex facility to help alleviate overcrowding.
“As we move forward, different strategies play into our priorities differently,” he said.
Additional Facts
what will the Moss Group do?
• Develop action plan to address Department of Justice and National Institute of Corrections reports as well as a communications plan for ADOC leadership, staff and external stakeholders.
• Make recommendations for installation of mirrors and 350 new cameras.
• Identify trends and map investigation process from the allegation to conclusion, including clarifying staff roles identifying gaps in Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) compliance
• Provide gender-responsive training and assistance for staff
• Conduct an inmate survey on perception of safety
• Develop long-term strategy for changing culture at the facility.