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· Assistant Director
The auditor reviewed the Pre-Audit Questionnaire (PAQ), applicable policies,
personnel records, and conducted interviews with facility leadership and Human
Resources staff to assess compliance with Standard 115.317. Newport News Juvenile
Detention Center (NNJDC) has established hiring, promotion, and contractor
screening procedures designed to prevent individuals with a history of sexual abuse
or sexual misconduct from having contact with residents.
Policy 115.317, PREA Hiring and Promotion Decisions, prohibits the facility from
hiring or promoting any employee, or enlisting the services of any contractor or
volunteer who may have contact with residents, if that individual has engaged in
sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile
facility, or other institution; has been convicted of engaging or attempting to
engage in coercive or non-consensual sexual activity in the community; or has been
civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in such conduct. The policy
also requires that applicants be asked directly about prior misconduct and that
appropriate background investigations be completed before employment or service
begins.
Interviews with the Assistant Director, Human Resources staff, PREA Coordinator,
and Director confirmed that these screening requirements are consistently applied
during the hiring, promotion, and contractor selection processes. Interviewees
demonstrated a thorough understanding of the facility's PREA employment
standards and the importance of preventing individuals with disqualifying histories
from having access to residents.
The auditor was provided unrestricted access to employee, contractor, and
volunteer personnel files during the on-site audit. A review of the selected files
confirmed that criminal background checks had been completed and documented in
accordance with policy. The auditor also verified that applicants were required to
answer questions regarding prior sexual misconduct as part of the employment
process and that the required PREA-related inquiries were documented for all
applicable hires and promotions occurring after implementation of the PREA
Standards.
Human Resources staff explained that substantiated incidents of sexual harassment,
in addition to sexual abuse, are considered during employment and promotion
decisions consistent with Policy 115.317. They further stated that any information
obtained during the background investigation regarding sexual abuse or sexual
harassment would be evaluated before an offer of employment is extended. These
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