National Survey of Youth in Custody (NSYC-3) 2017-18

The National Prison Rape Statistics Program, developed upon passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, entails the collection of both administrative and self-report data on sexual violence from State and Federal prisons, locally-operated jails, and public and private facilities for juvenile offenders in the nation. One of the data collection efforts that supports the NPRS includes the National Survey of Youth in Custody (NSYC). In 2008-2009 and again in 2012 BJS has collected data from youth in these facilities using an audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI), wherein juveniles heard questions and instructions via headphones and entered their responses using a touch screen. A total of 9,198 youth completed the survey on sexual victimization in NSYC-1 and 8,845 youth completed the survey in NSYC-2. The data collected in NSYC-1 and NSYC-2 were used to develop national- and facility-level (for large facilities) estimates of sexual assault. Data from the surveys were included in two previous reports from the Attorney General, which were submitted to Congress, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the DOJ Review Panel on Prison Rape, as specified under the act. The reports provided detailed results from the surveys, including rankings and summary findings. They identified facilities with the highest and lowest rates of sexual violence, which the Review Panel on Prison Rape used to solicit testimony from correctional administrators of these facilities. Under this award, Westat will conduct the third iteration of the National Survey of Youth in Custody (NSYC), designed to measure sexual violence in juvenile correctional facilities. NSYC-3 will build on the past surveys by obtaining more details on specific incidents. New measures include items related to past physical and sexual abuse, youth’s mental health and emotional problems, disabilities and other impairments, misconduct while in the facility, and placement in restricted housing. In addition, BJS intends to improve the measurement of the nature and circumstances surrounding staff sexual misconduct and boundary violations, collusion among inmates and staff surrounding victimization, impact on victims, and other factors related to facility climate, institutional culture, and correctional leadership. The third data collection will be implemented in a sample of approximately 370 juvenile facilities, yielding an estimated 10,000 interviews. (CA/NCF)

Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law.