The passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) has raised awareness in the criminal justice system of the unique mental, physical and safety needs of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning) individuals and the legal requirements to provide an environment free from sexual violence and harassment by detainees and staff. The following links will provide readers with an overview of the issues surrounding terminology, housing, mental and physical health care, programming and equal treatment. 

Call for Change: Protecting the Rights of LGBTQ Detainees
Hearing: At Risk: Sexual Abuse and Vulnerable Groups Behind Bars - August 19, 2005
LGBTQ Youth in the Juvenile Justice System
Still In Danger: The Ongoing Threat of Sexual Violence against Transgender Prisoners
To Keep Me Safe From Harm? Transgender Prisoners and the Experience of Imprisonment
Transgender Issues and the Criminal Justice System