Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)

Juvenile Sexual Violence Data Released

2008-08-06T14:53:00Z

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has released a Special Report, Sexual Violence Reported by Juvenile Correctional Authorities, 2005-06. Of the more than 2,000 allegations of sexual violence reported each year, approximately one in five was substantiated, a rate higher than was found in adult prisons and jails.

Learn online! "Your Role: Responding to Sexual Abuse"

2008-07-30T15:40:00Z

The National Institute of Corrections has just release a new online training program that provides a comprehensive overview of the Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). This 2-hour program is designed to increase your awareness of the dynamics of sexual abuse in corrections and teach you how to respond to allegations of sexual abuse.

All staff working in correctional settings are encouraged to take this free interactive course. It's content has special relevance to the institutional environments and addresses issues that have serious legal and public safety issues for staff at all levels.

Registration and Program Details

Click here to begin...

Public Comment Period Has Been Extended

2008-07-28T21:28:00Z

The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission today announced an extension of the Phase Two public comment period. The following announcement was sent via NPREC News:

Due to the high level of response to the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission’s draft standards for Lockups, Community Corrections, and Juvenile Facilities, Phase Two of the public comment period has been extended to sixty days. Phase Two will now be equivalent to the time previously provided during Phase One for comments on the Adult Prisons and Jails, and supplemental standards for Facilities Holding Immigration Detainees. The Commission will now accept public comment on the draft standards for Lockups, Community Corrections, and Juvenile Facilities through 5:00 PM EDT on Friday, August 15, 2008. Please visit www.nprec.us to view the draft standards and public comment forms and to provide comments.

Sexual Victimization in Local Jails Reported by Inmates, 2007

2008-06-25T16:13:00Z

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has published a report on sexual victimization in local jails. The data for the 2007 National Inmate Survey (NIS) was collected from a sample of 40,419 inmates between April and December, and surveyed 282 local jails.

Highlights:

About 1.6% of inmates (12,100, nationwide) reported an incident involving another inmate, and 2.0% (15,200) reported an incident involving staff.
Inmate-on-inmate victimization occurred most often in the victim's cell (56%); staff-on-inmate victimization occurred in a closet, office, or other locked room (47%).
An estimated 5.1% of female inmates, compared to 2.9% of male inmates, said they had experienced one or more incidents of sexual victimization.

This data was collected as required by the the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (P.L.-108-79).

More PREA Standards Released For Comment

2008-06-16T14:42:00Z

The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission has released draft standards for lockups, community corrections, and juvenile facilities, which are available at www.nprec.us for public comment from June 16th through August 1st. The first set of draft standards, addressing adult prisons and jails, and supplemental standards for facilities that hold immigration detainees, will continue to be available for comment through July 7th.

Public Comment Sought on Proposed PREA Standards

2008-05-05T20:30:00Z

The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC) has released their draft standards for adult prisons, jails, and facilities holding immigration detainees. The Commission is seeking public input regarding these proposed standards between the dates of May 5 through July 7, 2008. Draft standards concerning lockups, juvenile and community corrections facilities will be available for viewing and public comment in June 2008. For further information on how the standards were formulated, copies of the draft standards, and methods by which the public may provide comments, please click here.

Helping Judges and Prosecutors Understand and Manage PREA Cases

2008-03-13T22:51:00Z

Two items are available from the National Judicial College (NJC), under a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), that will help judges and prosecutors understand and manage PREA cases. "What Judges Need to Know About Prison Rape: The Prison Rape Elimination Act and the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003: Curriculum for Judges. According to NJC, "The purpose of both resources is that judges will be able to:

identify the critical provisions of PREA
manage PREA cases effectively and efficiently
apply evidentiary rules in PREA cases
and sentence offenders considering victim's rights, reentry, community safety, and other significant concerns."

According to the NJC site, "The two CD-ROMs are in one-hour self-study formats - one for prosecutors and one for judges." You can read more about these resources and how to request the CD's.

Fourth Annual Report to Congress on Department of Justice Activitites Related to the Prison Rape Elimination Act

2008-02-28T22:25:00Z

This report covers calendar year 2006 and summarizes the activities of the federal agencies charged with specific tasks regarding the implementation and monitoring of compliance with the requirements of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)

Chat About PREA Implications for Juvenile Justice Agencies

2008-02-19T17:35:00Z

On June 1, 2006 The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission held a public hearing focusing on issues concerning juvenile populations. Testimony from that hearing brought to light questions regarding the implications of PREA for juvenile justice agencies. The hearing raised many issues including: policies preventing youth
on youth sexual contact; training on "normal" adolescent development; medical and mental health care; and management and operational practice standards that will work in the various agencies housing or supervising youth. The online chat on March 21, 2008 will explore these issues and discuss policy and other challenges in implementing PREA for juvenile justice agencies.

Read more about the live chat and get instructions on how to participate in this announcement.

Sexual Victimization in Correctional Facilities - Free Online Event

2008-01-29T23:11:00Z

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government Innovators Network will be hosting a free online discussion regarding sexual victimization in correctional facilities. An expert panel will address the state of current research and what can be done to reduce and eliminate such events. The date is Feb. 7, 2008, 2PM - 4PM EST. For information on registration, access instructions, participants, and additional resources, please click here.

Participate in the PREA Standards Implementation Needs Assessment

2008-01-09T17:51:00Z

The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC) is inviting up to 10 facilities to participate in the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Standards Implementation Needs Assessment (SINA). The Commission is seeking feedback on the PREA draft standards regarding feasibility of implementation of the standards, as written, and possible suggestions to ease implementation and compliance concerns.

Sexual Victimization in State and Federal Prisons Reported by Inmates, 2007

2007-12-19T21:10:00Z

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has compiled data from a sample of 23,398 inmates in 146 State and Federal prisons on the prevalence and incidences of sexual victimization. The data include inmate-on-inmate victimization, as well as staff sexual misconduct.

No Cost Assistance for PREA

2007-11-19T22:29:00Z

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has provided a grant to the Center for Innovative Public Policies (CIPP) to make information, training, or technical assistance on the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 available at no cost. See the downloadable flyer announcing, "The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA) What Every Chief of Police and Sheriff Needs to Know".

Annual Report to Congress on the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003

2007-11-16T22:57:00Z

The third annual report to Congress detailing the activities and accomplishments of federal agencies charged with specific tasks regarding the implementation and monitoring of compliance with the requirements of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) by Federal and State law enforcement and correctional agencies is available here.

Protocol for Sexual Assault Examinations

2007-09-25T18:42:00Z

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women (VAWA) has developed a national protocol for sexual assault medical forensic examinations. This report provides a blueprint that jurisdictions may employ in the development and implementation of strategies specific to the examination process.