Prison Activism Now: Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs

The mission of the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (WCSAP) is to unite agencies engaged in the elimination of sexual violence through education, advocacy, victim services and social change.  The coalition is made up of over forty sexual assault /crisis programs and supporting members throughout Washington State. The Coalition has begun working on the issue of rape and sexual assault in prisons under a federal grant through the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, which was passed in 2003 to eliminate sexual assault in prison.

Background: The mission of the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (WCSAP) is to unite agencies engaged in the elimination of sexual violence through education, advocacy, victim services and social change.  The coalition is made up of over forty sexual assault /crisis programs and supporting members throughout Washington State. The Coalition has begun working on the issue of rape and sexual assault in prisons under a federal grant through the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, which was passed in 2003 to eliminate sexual assault in prison.

In 2005: WCSAP will help create curricula and provide training for people who are entering prison as prisoners and as staff. The Coalition is assisting the Department of Corrections (DOC) in writing and revising their policies and procedures relative to their responses to sexual assaults in prison, including the care that DOC provides to sexual assault survivors and DOC investigations of assaults in both adult and juvenile facilities.

One barrier to accessing and providing services to sexual assault survivors in prison is funding.  People under the custody of the DOC cannot apply for Crime Victims Compensation and as a result are unable to access those funds for services such as counseling.  Similarly, victim service agencies who use Victim of Crime Act funding cannot provide services to incarcerated victims due to funding restriction within the Act itself. There is significant concern that resources are not available to assist in providing needed support to survivors transitioning out of prison and into the community. 

Allen Trimmings, Program Manager for PREA with the coalition, is working to raise the public’s awareness about the problem of sexual assault in prison as well as the fact that work is being done to eliminate prison rape.  “We care about individuals under the care of the Department of Corrections; just as we care about the communities that they are returning to… that is why this work is so important.”

This profile orginally appeared in the Fall/Winter 2005 Justice Matters.