This webinar will provide an overview of the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) sexual assault testing policies. Additionally, the speaker will share one year of aggregate results from sexual assault kit samples tested by the PSP laboratory system. Objectives
· Understand the PSP Bureau of Forensic Services testing policies regarding sexual assault samples.
· Identify samples most likely to be tested and samples most likely to yield results based on one year of aggregate data from the PSP Bureau of Forensic Sciences laboratory system.
· Identify ways to improve communication between evidence collection personnel and evidence testing personnel to improve sexual assault testing outcomes.
Speaker: Jennifer Badger, Forensic Laboratory Manager, PSP Bureau of Forensic Services
In this webinar, the presenter examines the impact of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and chronic stress on corrections staff. Participants will learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma, understand its effects on individuals within the corrections environment, and explore effective strategies for addressing trauma to enhance both staff well-being and institutional safety. The session also covers key approaches to improving responses to the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) through trauma-informed practices.
This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-22-GG-00921-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.
This webinar explores the many ways individuals demonstrate resilience, highlighting how these strengths can be harnessed to manage stress and combat vicarious trauma. Recognizing and addressing vicarious trauma is critical for maintaining well-being, particularly for those working in high-stress environments, such as corrections or with trauma-exposed populations.
Throughout the session, the presenter will guide participants through a hands-on art therapy exercise designed to support emotional resilience and provide practical tools for coping with the challenges of secondary trauma.
This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-22-GG-00921-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.
What impact does the traumatizing and terrifying nature of strangulation have on the initiation, identification, investigation, and prosecution of a criminal case? This powerful and escalated form of violence is a vivid preview to show a victim the fate they face if they do not comply. Although dangerous and sometimes deadly, victims of strangulation frequently lack obvious signs of external injury, often leaving marks on the perpetrator as they fight for their life. Without proper understanding of these injuries, investigations are often misdirected and can result in a failed prosecution or the arrest of a victim. This training will provide guidance on how to identify and document valuable evidence often overlooked by law enforcement and prosecutors.
Part one will give the audience a lens to see into the mind of an abuser. As a result, practitioners will be better equipped to understand the motives and strategies that perpetrators use to manipulate victims and the criminal justice system.
Part two will discuss the impact that strangulation has on a victim as they experience an assault as well as the control that surrounds their journey into the criminal system. As a result, practitioners will be able to overcome common challenges, prioritize victim safety, and hold offenders accountable.
Learning Objectives
1. Identify common strategies that offenders use to prevent reporting
2. Discuss the difference between an interrogation and interview.
3. Identify common injuries on the suspect in a strangulation assault.
4. Identify common defenses used in asphyxiation cases.
This project was supported by Subgrant Number 36156 awarded to PCCD by the Federal Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice’s STOP Formula Grant Program. The opinions, findings, conclusions and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the reviews of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the U.S. Department of Justice.
(3 Hours) During this eight part online learning series,
correctional staff and victim advocates will explore strategies to prevent and
respond to the needs of survivors who are currently incarcerated.