PREA Audit Services

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is soliciting proposals through Request for Proposal 696-AR-26-P018 for Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Audit Services to assess compliance at TDCJ facilities with federal PREA Prisons and Jail Standards. The procurement requires certified PREA Auditors to conduct compliance audits at designated facilities on a three-year rotation cycle, with the base contract period running from September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, followed by four optional one-year renewal periods extending through August 2031. During the base period, auditors will conduct audits at 34 TDCJ facilities with varying inmate populations, with individual audit site visits lasting 2 to 4 days per facility. Key deliverables include comprehensive audit reports that assess facility compliance against PREA standards, assign findings of "Exceeds Standard," "Meets Standard," or "Does Not Meet Standard," and include corrective action recommendations; auditors must also submit corrective action plans within 180 days for any facilities receiving "Does Not Meet Standard" findings. Minimum qualifications require respondents to possess DOJ-certified PREA Auditors prior to contract execution, maintain certifications throughout the contract term, and demonstrate the ability to commence operations independently without financial assistance from the Department. Respondents must provide two years of audited financial statements, references from similar work, proof of Texas business registration, and DOJ PREA Auditor certification documentation. The evaluation criteria are weighted as Cost (40%), Technical Qualifications (30%), Experience (15%), Past Performance (10%), and Financial Strength (5%). Proposals are due May 13, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. CT, with written questions for clarification due by April 27, 2026 and Department responses due by April 30, 2026; no site visits or bidders' conferences are scheduled.

The solicitation does not identify any specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises, and the contract is open to all qualified respondents who meet the certification and experience requirements. No incumbent contractor or current vendor is identified in the available documentation. The contract is structured as firm fixed-price with no minimum utilization guarantee, with invoicing to occur upon completion of each individual audit and Department payment within 30 days; pricing must be submitted on a per-facility basis with all costs including travel and related expenses embedded in the fixed price. Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Workers' Compensation, Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Professional Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Commercial Crime Insurance ($1,000,000), and Cybersecurity Insurance ($1,000,000). Subcontracting is permitted with prior written Department approval. The specific award value or budget range for the base contract period is not disclosed in the solicitation documents; however, the contract encompasses audits at 34 facilities over the base year with potential expansion across multiple facilities over the five-year contract period.