The California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) and Just Detention International (JDI) are pleased to announce the arrival of a new toolkit specifically for victim advocates!  Access for All: A Guide for Serving Incarcerated Survivors is a product of the CA Advancing PREA Project, funded by the Office of Emergency Services. The project allows CALCASA and JDI the unique opportunity to offer CA rape crisis centers that provide services to survivors who are incarcerated within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) system training and technical assistance in building strong relationships and sustainable agreements for the provision of victim services.

Access for All contains concrete information which can help you and your agency strengthen your work in detention, such as who is incarcerated in America, which incarcerated communities are more vulnerable to abuse, and checklists to help you make the most of facility tours and meetings with correctional staff.  Although this toolkit was written with an emphasis on the partnership between the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the information and resources it contains can be used by advocates nationwide to build their own programs. Included in an exhaustive page of hyperlinked Resources and at the CALCASA site are:

Template MOUs
CDCR’s Department Operations Manual (DOM)
Dress code for CDCR Visitors/Volunteers
Sample protocol for Ventura Youth Correctional Facility, developed by Coalition for Family Harmony
Statewide RCC Service Area Key for CDCR Institutions
Sample “Help Is Available” posters
Archived webinars on serving incarcerated survivors and vulnerable/under-served communities
CA Advancing PREA Online Modules and Facilitator’s Guides

Please let CALCASA know how you are using this toolkit! For questions or support please email at prea@calcasa.org.