BJA FY 15 PREA Program: National PREA Resource Center

In FY 2013, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) released the 2011-2012 findings from the most recent surveys of jail and prison inmates about incidences of sexual victimization. Based on this information, 4.0 percent of state and federal prison inmates, and 3.2 percent of jail inmates within the United States, reported experiencing one or more incidents of sexual victimization by another inmate or facility staff in the previous 12 months or since admission to the facility. In juvenile facilities, the numbers are even more troubling. An estimated 9.5 percent of adjudicated youth in state juvenile facilities and state contract facilities (representing 1,720 youth nationwide) reported experiencing one or more incidents of sexual victimization by another youth or staff in the previous 12 months or since admission, if less than 12 months. On June 20, 2012, DOJ published the Notice of Final Rule creating national standards as required by the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). The standards apply to adult prisons and jails, juvenile confinement facilities, police lockups, and community confinement facilities. The standards, which took effect on August 20, 2012, seek to prevent sexual abuse and to reduce the harm that it causes. The standards are grouped into 11 categories: prevention planning; responsive planning; training and education; screening for risk of sexual victimization and abusiveness; reporting; official response following an inmate report; investigations; discipline; medical and mental care; data collection and review; and audits. Compliance with the overall PREA standards requires compliance with the audit standards (i.e., § 115.93, §115.193, §115.293, §115.393, and §§115.401-405). Under the audit standards, one-third of each facility type operated by an agency, or by a private organization on behalf of the agency, must be audited within each year of a 3-year audit cycle. The first audit cycle began on August 20, 2013. In FY 2010, BJA established, via a competitively awarded cooperative agreement, the National PREA Resource Center (PRC) to support PREA implementation efforts nationwide as outlined in the Notice of Final Rule. The PRC reflects a unique collaborative partnership among a wide array of national, state, and local stakeholder organizations that represent adult prisons, jails, and lockups; juvenile corrections; community corrections; tribal confinement facilities; and inmate, youth, and victim advocacy groups. For more information about the PRC, go to www.prearesourcecenter.org.