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Services for Incarcerated Survivors

Support & Care for Incarcerated Survivors

The Advocate Department believes all survivors of abuse need access to support and care. Survivors of sexual abuse who are incarcerated in juvenile detention, prisons, jails, correctional, and/or detention facilities may face additional challenges to accessing help.  Challenges include isolation, lack of support, safety concerns, limited access to community resources, and fear of retaliation.  

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) passed in 2003 with updated PREA regulations in 2012, with the purpose of preventing, detecting, and responding to prison rape. (Prison Rape Elimination Act, 2003, DOJ National Standards PREA 2012)

Services Tailored To You

Services for Incarcerated Survivors include the following:

  • Access to a specialized PREA Case Manager who works with incarcerated survivors providing advocacy services, information, referrals, and support through legal mail and legal phone calls.
  • Hospital Advocate (link) accompaniment and SAFE Program Services (link) when a prisoner presents at an Erie County Emergency Department for evidence collection.

We collaborate with the Erie County Holding Center, the Erie County Correctional Facility, and serves as the designated Rape Crisis Program for Wende, Collins, and Gowanda Correctional Facilities, which are part of the NYS DOCCS system and collaborate with the New York State PREA Rape Crisis Hotline (link). 

Incarcerated Survivors Hotline

All Advocate Department Hotline Counselors are trained Rape Crisis Counselors and Domestic Violence Advocates. We are here to answer your call!

Crisis Services 24/7 Hotline: 716-834-3131

Erie County’s Domestic Violence Helpline: 716-862-HELP

The Helpline is part of the 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline response for Erie County.  Hotline Counselors are available to provide immediate support, safety planning, and information and referrals to Erie County Domestic Violence Providers.

New York State Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline

Since October 2010, Crisis Services has been the operator of the NYS Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline on behalf of the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence.  Our trained domestic and sexual violence Hotline Counselors answer between 9,000-12,000 calls annually from individuals seeking information and support related to domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, rape, child abuse, and elder abuse.

Bilingual Spanish/English Hotline Counselors are available. Multi-language interpretation is available. 711 Relay Service available. For more information on the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence go to www.opdv.ny.gov or call 1-800-942-6906

PREA Hotline

In January 2019, Crisis Services began managing the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence New York State Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Rape Crisis Hotline, a free and confidential service for incarcerated survivors of sexual abuse within the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) prison facilities. 

Incarcerated survivors face isolation and limited resources.  The PREA Hotline provides emotional support, safety planning, and with the caller’s consent, a referral to a specialized network of Rape Crisis Programs that are available to assist incarcerated survivors.  

Bilingual staff (English/Spanish) are available and the Hotline utilizes phone interpreters to assist callers in their preferred languages. The PREA Hotline operates from 8 am to 11 pm daily.

Learn more about our local services for incarcerated survivors.

Support When You Need It Most

No matter where you are, you deserve the support and confidentiality for your time of crisis. Our trained professionals offer emotional support, planning, and referrals when you need it most. 

Do you have the skills, experience, and compassion we seek in a volunteer?

There are opportunities to help at Crisis Services.

Do you have the skills, experience, and compassion we seek in a volunteer?

There are opportunities to help at Crisis Services.