Preventing and Responding to Staff Sexual Misconduct in Community Supervision Agencies

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Preventing and responding to misconduct of any kind by staff members of a governmental agency is of particular concern to administrators and the public. There is little data available on the occurrence of misconduct across agencies and, if an agency is collecting internal data, it is not typically shared. There is no central repository for this type of data. However, a quick Internet search yields dozens of examples of headlines about misconduct from all across the country. These headlines are only an indication of the problem as many of these case are settled out of court. Any staff misconduct undermines the credibility and authority of agencies and diminishes both public and legislative support. Staff misconduct can be particularly devastating when it involves allegations of sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct may include sexual harassment, coercion, and sexual assault, incurring both civil and criminal liability for the agency and the perpetrator. Due to the imbalance of power between staff and individuals on supervision, agencies must ensure that their staff know and understand the ramifications of their actions. The role of community supervision staff is complex and may include elements of both law enforcement and counseling. This dual role can sometimes cause confusion for the staff and the individuals they supervise. Although staff are trained in the issues related to misconduct, supervisors must be able to recognize and address inappropriate and problematic behavior and provide proper support to their staff. An agency’s leadership must use their influence to demonstrate that sexual misconduct and other inappropriate relationships will not be tolerated. Having strong, clear policies and training on those policies is a good start, but there are additional strategies that can mitigate the effects of this unwanted staff behavior. The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is seeking to create a whole array of products to assist agencies in preventing and addressing this important issue.

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