Information about Sexual Abuse or Harassment or suspected Sexual Abuse or Harassment can be reported:

Verbally to staff
Electronic request or grievance
Electronic PREA report
A third party

Contact info is:

Anna Ross Berntson
PREA Coordinator
2371 7th St SE
Valley City, ND 58072
(701)845-8532

Third party reporting should be directed to:

Valley City Police Department
216 2nd Ave NE
Valley City, ND 58072
(701)845-3110

On September 4, 2003, President George W. Bush signed into law the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 The legislation required the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to develop a new national data collection on the incidence and prevalence of sexual assault within correctional facilities. The final rule was published in the federal register on June 20, 2012, and became effective on August 20, 2012.

The Barnes County Correctional Center has implemented a written policy mandating zero tolerance toward all forms of sexual abuse and sexual harassment and outlining the agency’s approach to preventing, detecting, and responding to such conduct. The standard that governs external audits provides that the first audit cycle begins on August 20, 2013, and, to be in compliance, that jurisdictions must have at least one third of their facilities audited within the subsequent 12-month period ending August 20, 2014. The Barnes County Correctional Center is committed to PREA compliance while providing a sexually safe environment for all adults and juveniles in our care and custody. The results of these audits will be posted on this website.

The Barnes County Correctional Center maintains a written policy mandating zero tolerance toward all forms of sexual abuse and sexual harassment and outlining the agency’s approach to preventing, detecting, and responding to such conduct. (Barnes County Correctional Center Policy 6-10) The Barnes County Correctional Center Policy is available on this website. The Barnes County Correctional Center in partnership with the Barnes County Sheriff’s Office investigates all reports of sexual abuse and sexual harassment.

Upon receiving an allegation that an inmate was sexually abused while confined at another facility, the head of the facility will notify head or appropriate office of the agency where the sexual abuse is alleged to have occurred. ( North Dakota Policy 3C-4 and PREA Standard 115.63)

PREA requires “incidents” to be recorded in one of three categories: 1) Substantiated; 2) Unsubstantiated; or 3) Unfounded

Unfounded Allegation: Allegation that was investigated and determined not to have occurred.

Unsubstantiated Allegation: Allegation that was investigated and the investigation produced insufficient evidence to make a final determination as to whether or not the event occurred.

Substantiated Allegation: Allegation that was investigated and determined to have occurred.

	Inmate on Inmate Complaints		Staff on Inmate Complaints
As reported in 2023	Sexual Abuse	Sexual Harassment	Sexual Abuse	Sexual Harassment
Unfounded Allegations	0	0	0	0
Unsubstantiated Allegations	0	0	0	1
Substantiated Allegations	0	0	0	0
As reported in 2022	Sexual Abuse	Sexual Harassment	Sexual Abuse	Sexual Harassment
Unfounded Allegations	0	0	0	1
Unsubstantiated Allegations	0	0	0	0
Substantiated Allegations	0	0	0	0