All survivors of sexual violence deserve compassion and support. If you or your loved one has experienced sexual assault, harassment, or abuse while incarcerated in Maryland, resources and support are available to you.
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) is a federal law that established national standards to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and abuse in prisons, jails, and community and juvenile confinement facilities. It ensures that survivors who are incarcerated can access the same support services that rape crisis centers provide to survivors who are not incarcerated
If you would like to speak with someone about your experience with sexual violence or harassment, confidential help is available. Rape crisis center staff offer confidential support, which may include listening to your story, answering your questions, informing you of your rights as a survivor, explaining the resources and services available to you, and supporting you through a sexual assault foresnic exam (SAFE). If you would like to connect with a confidential rape crisis center advocate, you can find your local center on our website.
Advocates are not connected with the Department of Public Safety and Correction Services in any way, which means they can provide confidential support to those affected by sexual violence, regardless of where or when the incident occurred. Advocates cannot provide legal advice, make choices for you, change the facility’s process or decisions, or provide therapy.
If you experienced a rape or sexual assault and would like to talk to a confidential advocate, you can call the help line. Support staff can connect you to resources and support for victims of sexual assault and rape. They are here to help. This help line is a free and confidential resource for incarcerated survivors of sexual assault and rape. This is not a reporting line. Advocates can provide you with information on reporting and safety planning.
If you want to report your sexual assault, the Maryland PREA Reporting Hotline is available. Reporting to the hotline will start an investigation and let staff know about your experience. This is not a confidential number- the line is managed by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. The Reporting Hotline also accepts reports from third parties, meaning someone can report your sexual assault on your behalf. This reporting person, or third party, could be another inmate, member of staff, family member, lawyer, friend, or service provider.
If you call to report your experience, be prepared to share your full name, inmate ID number, and the name of the facility. The PREA Hotline Reporting number is 410-585- 3177.
You can also report your experience anonymously, meaning you do not need to give your name, but anonymous reports will still be investigated.
MCASA’s Sexual Assault Legal Institute (SALI) provides legal services to sexual assault survivors in Maryland. The staff at SALI work with survivors to provide support, referrals, and legal help. They can help you safety plan, work with incarceration staff on your behalf, and support you through an investigation.
(202) 274-4385
[email protected]
Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. MST
The Project on Addressing Prison Rape is a grant-funded program at American University's Washington College of Law. The Project has contacts with advocacy groups and correctional agencies in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands, and will work to resolve survivors’ issues at the facility level whenever possible. The Project can also provide assistance to survivors’ family and friends.
Just Detention International (JDI) is a health and human rights organization that seeks to end sexual abuse in all forms of detention. If you or someone you know has been sexually abused in confinement, JDI can send out their Survivor Packet, which includes Hope for Healing, a self-help guide for survivors as they rebuild their lives after an assault. Learn how to request a packet.
JDI responds to every survivor who writes to them, but they do not provide legal representation or counseling services. People in detention may write to JDI via confidential “legal mail."
People in detention may write to JDI via confidential, legal mail at the following address:
Cynthia Totten, Esq.
CA Attorney Reg. #199266
3325 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 340
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Toll-free Hotline: (888) 843-4564
Hotline Hours: Monday - Friday, 2 - 10 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. PST
[email protected]
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline provides peer-counseling by telephone and email, as well as information and local resources for cities and towns across the United States. The hotline also maintains the largest resource database of its kind in the United States, with over 15,000 listings. All services are free and confidential.
