Emerging research indicates that the predictive ability of PREA standard items can be significantly improved with the addition of new, dynamic criteria. To watch a recent webinar recording discussing exciting new research in this area, please click here.
While each agency’s or facility’s approach to implementation of this standard may vary, here are a few steps you can take to strengthen compliance:
- Review your PREA screening to identify opportunities to address more gender-responsive factors in screenings for men and women.
- Review your PREA screening to ensure you are gathering information consistent with the standard requirements using reliable data.
- Collect and analyze your PREA screening data to see how your tool is performing.
- Review policy and training to identify opportunities to provide information to assessors to maximize the tool’s effectiveness.
- Consider strategies to support the use of screening information in placement to support sexual safety (§115.42).
Contact Donna Deutsch if you would like help reviewing your PREA screening tool or any compliance issues related to PREA.
PREA Standard § 115.41 Screening for risk of victimization and abusiveness states: All inmates shall be assessed during an intake screening and upon transfer to another facility for their risk of being sexually abused by other inmates or sexually abusive toward other inmates.
(d) The intake screening shall consider, at a minimum, the following criteria to assess inmates for risk of sexual victimization:
(1) Mental, physical, or developmental disability;
(2) Age;
(3) Physical build
(4) Previous incarceration;
(5) Criminal history is exclusively nonviolent;
(6) Prior convictions for sex offenses;
(7) Perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or gender nonconforming;
(8) Previously experienced sexual victimization;
(9) Own perception of vulnerability; and
(10) Detained solely for civil immigration purposes.
