(CARLISLE) – Wabash Valley Correctional Facility (WVCF) successfully completed the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) audit, demonstrating full compliance with all requirements.
WVCF first obtained accreditation through the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission in 2016. In order to verify ongoing compliance with requirements correctional facilities are audited every three years. Audits are conducted by a board of PREA auditors specifically trained and selected by the commission. There are 45 Adult Standards correctional facilities are expected to meet.
The audit team visiting WVCF commented they were impressed with the staff’s overall knowledge and understanding of PREA standards. The PREA auditors were also impressed that offenders who were interviewed could openly discuss not just PREA concerns, but any other topics of their incarceration at WVCF as well.
Background
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) is a federal law enacted in 2003. The goal of the act is to eliminate sexual abuse in correctional facilities. Certified PREA auditors analyse past incidents that have occurred within a correctional facility to determine necessary actions to improve protection for incarcerated persons. The act also created the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, which developed standards to aid staff at correctional facilities in preventing, detecting and properly responding to reported sexual assaults. The standards currently in place were submitted to the Department of Justice for review and became effective August 20, 2012.
