Grace Meng: “My amendment would ensure that cultural competency training is included in trauma screening trainings provided to…”

“My amendment would ensure that cultural competency training is included in trauma screening trainings provided to correctional officers and each Bureau of Prisons employee, including instructors and healthcare professionals. Estimates suggest that as many as 90 percent of incarcerated women have experienced some sort of trauma such as interpersonal or sexual violence in their lives. Female inmates are more likely to have been the victims of direct violence, repeated sexual violence, and intimate partner violence. We also know that trauma is experienced in different ways, depending on the individual's gender identity, culture, and past experiences. The BOP's incarcerated female population is incredibly diverse, with many ethnicities, approximately 30 religions, and women from all 50 States and many foreign countries represented. Studies show that trauma treatment programs should be administered and facilitated during the first 12 months of the incarcerated individual's sentence so as to maximize the benefits of these programs. Research also shows that the effects of trauma manifest themselves differently for incarcerated women and men. This manifestation is further compounded by the individual's cultural background. Incarcerated individuals with limited English proficiency have unique challenges in interaction with correctional officers. This is also true for LGBT incarcerated individuals who have experienced injustice and violence in very specific ways.…”