PREA STANDARDS - FINAL
Community Confinement Facilities
Attachment C
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prevention Planning
§ 115.211 – Zero tolerance of sexual abuse and sexual harassment; PREA coordinator...... 3
§ 115.212 – Contracting with other entities for the confinement of residents...... 3
§ 115.213 – Supervision and monitoring...... 3
§ 115.214 – Reserved...... 3
§ 115.215 – Limits to cross-gender viewing and searches...... 3
§ 115.216 – Residents with disabilities and residents who are limited English proficient...... 4
§ 115.217 – Hiring and promotion decisions...... 4
§ 115.218 – Upgrades to facilities and technologies...... 5
Responsive Planning
§ 115.221 – Evidence protocol and forensic medical examinations...... 5
§ 115.222 – Policies to ensure referrals of allegations for investigations...... 6
Training and Education
§ 115.231 – Employee training...... 6
§ 115.232 – Volunteer and contractor training...... 7
§ 115.233 – Resident education...... 7
§ 115.234 – Specialized training: Investigations...... 7
§ 115.235 – Specialized training: Medical and mental health care...... 7
Screening for Risk of Sexual Victimization and Abusiveness
§ 115.241 – Screening for risk of victimization and abusiveness...... 8
§ 115.242 – Use of screening information...... 8
§ 115.243 – Reserved...... 9
Reporting
§ 115.251 – Resident reporting...... 9
§ 115.252 – Exhaustion of administrative remedies...... 9
§ 115.253 – Resident access to outside confidential support services...... 10
§ 115.254 – Third-party reporting...... 10
Official Response Following a Resident Report
§ 115.261 – Staff and agency reporting duties...... 10
§ 115.262 – Agency protection duties...... 11
§ 115.263 – Reporting to other confinement facilities...... 11
§ 115.264 – Staff first responder duties...... 11
§ 115.265 – Coordinated response...... 11
§ 115.266 – Preservation of ability to protect residents from contact with abusers...... 11
§ 115.267 – Agency protection against retaliation...... 12
§ 115.268 – Reserved...... 12
Investigations
§ 115.271 – Criminal and administrative agency investigations...... 12
§ 115.272 – Evidentiary standard for administrative investigations...... 13
§ 115.273 – Reporting to residents...... 13
Discipline
§ 115.276 – Disciplinary sanctions for staff...... 13
§ 115.277 – Corrective action for contractors and volunteers...... 14
§ 115.278 – Disciplinary sanctions for residents...... 14
Medical and Mental Care
§ 115.281 – Reserved...... 14
§ 115.282 – Access to emergency medical and mental health services...... 14
§ 115.283 – Ongoing medical and mental health care for sexual abuse victims and abusers...... 14
Data Collection and Review
§ 115.286 – Sexual abuse incident reviews...... 15
§ 115.287 – Data collection...... 15
§ 115.288 – Data review for corrective action...... 16
§ 115.289 – Data storage, publication, and destruction...... 16
Audits
§ 115.293 – Audits of standards...... 16
Auditing and Corrective Action
§ 115.401 – Frequency and scope of audits...... 16
§ 115.402 – Auditor qualifications...... 17
§ 115.403 – Audit contents and findings...... 17
§ 115.404 – Audit corrective action plan...... 18
§ 115.405 – Audit appeals...... 18
State Compliance
§ 115.501 – State determination and certification of full compliance...... 18
Prevention Planning§ 115.211 Zero tolerance of sexual abuse and sexual harassment; PREA coordinator.
(a) An agency shall have a written policy mandating zero tolerance toward all forms of sexual abuse and sexual harassment and outlining the agency’s approach to preventing, detecting, and responding to such conduct.
(b) An agency shall employ or designate an upper-level, agency-wide PREA coordinator, with sufficient time and authority to develop, implement, and oversee agency efforts to comply with the PREA standards in all of its community confinement facilities.
Prevention Planning
§ 115.212 Contracting with other entities for the confinement of residents.
(a) A public agency that contracts for the confinement of its residents with private agencies or other entities, including other government agencies, shall include in any new contract or contract renewal the entity’s obligation to adopt and comply with the PREA standards.
(b) Any new contract or contract renewal shall provide for agency contract monitoring to ensure that the contractor is complying with the PREA standards.
(c) Only in emergency circumstances in which all reasonable attempts to find a private agency or other entity in compliance with the PREA standards have failed, may the agency enter into a contract with an entity that fails to comply with these standards. In such a case, the public agency shall document its unsuccessful attempts to find an entity in compliance with the standards.
Prevention Planning
§ 115.213 Supervision and monitoring.
(a) For each facility, the agency shall develop and document a staffing plan that provides for adequate levels of staffing, and, where applicable, video monitoring, to protect residents against sexual abuse. In calculating adequate staffing levels and determining the need for video monitoring, agencies shall take into consideration:
(1) The physical layout of each facility;
(2) The composition of the resident population;
(3) The prevalence of substantiated and unsubstantiated incidents of sexual abuse; and
(4) Any other relevant factors.
(b) In circumstances where the staffing plan is not complied with, the facility shall document and justify all deviations from the plan.
(c) Whenever necessary, but no less frequently than once each year, the facility shall assess, determine, and document whether adjustments are needed to:
(1) The staffing plan established pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section;
(2) Prevailing staffing patterns;
(3) The facility’s deployment of video monitoring systems and other monitoring technologies; and
(4) The resources the facility has available to commit to ensure adequate staffing levels.
Prevention Planning
§ 115.214 Reserved.
Reserved
Prevention Planning
§ 115.215 Limits to cross-gender viewing and searches.
(a) The facility shall not conduct cross-gender strip searches or cross-gender visual body cavity searches (meaning a search of the anal or genital opening) except in exigent circumstances or when performed by medical practitioners.
(b) As of [INSERT DATE 3 YEARS PLUS 60 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER], or [INSERT DATE 5 YEARS PLUS 60 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]for a facility whose rated capacity does not exceed 50 residents, the facility shall not permit cross-gender pat-down searches of female residents, absent exigent circumstances. Facilities shall not restrict female residents’ access to regularly available programming or other outside opportunities in order to comply with this provision.
(c) The facility shall document all cross-gender strip searches and cross-gender visual body cavity searches, and shall document all cross-gender pat-down searches of female residents.
(d) The facility shall implement policies and procedures that enable residents to shower, perform bodily functions, and change clothing without nonmedical staff of the opposite gender viewing their breasts, buttocks, or genitalia, except in exigent circumstances or when such viewing is incidental to routine cell checks. Such policies and procedures shall require staff of the opposite gender to announce their presence when entering an area where residents are likely to be showering, performing bodily functions, or changing clothing.
(e) The facility shall not search or physically examine a transgender or intersex resident for the sole purpose of determining the resident’s genital status. If the resident’s genital status is unknown, it may be determined during conversations with the resident, by reviewing medical records, or, if necessary, by learning that information as part of a broader medical examination conducted in private by a medical practitioner.
(f) The agency shall train security staff in how to conduct cross-gender pat-down searches, and searches of transgender and intersex residents, in a professional and respectful manner, and in the least intrusive manner possible, consistent with security needs.
Prevention Planning
§ 115.216 Residents with disabilities and residents who are limited English proficient.
(a) The agency shall take appropriate steps to ensure that residents with disabilities (including, for example, residents who are deaf or hard of hearing, those who are blind or have low vision, or those who have intellectual, psychiatric, or speech disabilities), have an equal opportunity to participate in or benefit from all aspects of the agency’s efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment. Such steps shall include, when necessary to ensure effective communication with residents who are deaf or hard of hearing, providing access to interpreters who can interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively and expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary. In addition, the agency shall ensure that written materials are provided in formats or through methods that ensure effective communication with residents with disabilities, including residents who have intellectual disabilities, limited reading skills, or who are blind or have low vision. An agency is not required to take actions that it can demonstrate would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of a service, program, or activity, or in undue financial and administrative burdens, as those terms are used in regulations promulgated under title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act, 28 CFR 35.164.
(b) The agency shall take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to all aspects of the agency’s efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment to residents who are limited English proficient, including steps to provide interpreters who can interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively and expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary.
(c) The agency shall not rely on resident interpreters, resident readers, or other types of resident assistants except in limited circumstances where an extended delay in obtaining an effective interpreter could compromise the resident’s safety, the performance of first-response duties under § 115.264, or the investigation of the resident’s allegations.
Prevention Planning
§ 115.217 Hiring and promotion decisions.
(a) The agency shall not hire or promote anyone who may have contact with residents, and shall not enlist the services of any contractor who may have contact with residents, who—
(1) Has engaged in sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institution (as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 1997);
(2) Has been convicted of engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse; or
(3) Has been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in the activity described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.
(b) The agency shall consider any incidents of sexual harassment in determining whether to hire or promote anyone, or to enlist the services of any contractor, who may have contact with residents.
(c) Before hiring new employees who may have contact with residents, the agency shall:
(1) Perform a criminal background records check; and
(2) Consistent with Federal, State, and local law, make its best efforts to contact all prior institutional employers for information on substantiated allegations of sexual abuse or any resignation during a pending investigation of an allegation of sexual abuse.
(d) The agency shall also perform a criminal background records check before enlisting the services of any contractor who may have contact with residents.
(e) The agency shall either conduct criminal background records checks at least every five years of current employees and contractors who may have contact with residents or have in place a system for otherwise capturing such information for current employees.
(f) The agency shall also ask all applicants and employees who may have contact with residents directly about previous misconduct described in paragraph (a) of this section in written applications or interviews for hiring or promotions and in any interviews or written self-evaluations conducted as part of reviews of current employees. The agency shall also impose upon employees a continuing affirmative duty to disclose any such misconduct.
(g) Material omissions regarding such misconduct, or the provision of materially false information, shall be grounds for termination.
(h) Unless prohibited by law, the agency shall provide information on substantiated allegations of sexual abuse or sexual harassment involving a former employee upon receiving a request from an institutional employer for whom such employee has applied to work.
Prevention Planning
§ 115.218 Upgrades to facilities and technologies.
(a) When designing or acquiring any new facility and in planning any substantial expansion or modification of existing facilities, the agency shall consider the effect of the design, acquisition, expansion, or modification upon the agency’s ability to protect residents from sexualabuse.
(b) When installing or updating a video monitoring system, electronic surveillance system, or other monitoring technology, the agency shall consider how such technology may enhance the agency’s ability to protect residents from sexual abuse.
Responsive Planning
§ 115.221 Evidence protocol and forensic medical examinations.
(a) To the extent the agency is responsible for investigating allegations of sexual abuse, the agency shall follow a uniform evidence protocol that maximizes the potential for obtaining usable physical evidence for administrative proceedings and criminal prosecutions.
(b) The protocol shall be developmentally appropriate for youth where applicable, and, as appropriate, shall be adapted from or otherwise based on the most recent edition of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women publication, “A National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations, Adults/Adolescents,” or similarly comprehensive and authoritative protocols developed after 2011.
(c) The agency shall offer all victims of sexual abuse access to forensic medical examinations whether on-site or at an outside facility, without financial cost, where evidentiarily or medically appropriate. Such examinations shall be performed by Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFEs) or Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) where possible. If SAFEs or SANEs cannot be made available, the examination can be performed by other qualified medical practitioners. The agency shall document its efforts to provide SAFEs or SANEs.
(d) The agency shall attempt to make available to the victim a victim advocate from a rape crisis center. If a rape crisis center is not available to provide victim advocate services, the agency shall make available to provide these services a qualified staff member from a community-based organization or a qualified agency staff member. Agencies shall document efforts to secure services from rape crisis centers. For the purpose of this standard, a rape crisis center refers to an entity that provides intervention and related assistance, such as the services specified in 42 U.S.C. 14043g(b)(2)(C), to victims of sexual assault of all ages. The agency may utilize a rape crisis center that is part of a governmental unit as long as the center is not part of the criminal justice system (such as a law enforcement agency) and offers a comparable level of confidentiality as a nongovernmental entity that provides similar victim services.
(e) As requested by the victim, the victim advocate, qualified agency staff member, or qualified community-based organization staff member shall accompany and support the victim through the forensic medical examination process and investigatory interviews and shall provide emotional support, crisis intervention, information, and referrals.
(f) To the extent the agency itself is not responsible for investigating allegations of sexual abuse, the agency shall request that the investigating agency follow the requirements of paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section.
(g) The requirements of paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section shall also apply to:
(1) Any State entity outside of the agency that is responsible for investigating allegations of sexual abuse in community confinement facilities; and
(2) Any Department of Justice component that is responsible for investigating allegations of sexual abuse in community confinement facilities.
(h) For the purposes of this standard, a qualified agency staff member or a qualified community-based staff member shall be an individual who has been screened for appropriateness to serve in this role and has received education concerning sexual assault and forensic examination issues in general.
Responsive Planning
§ 115.222 Policies to ensure referrals of allegations for investigations.
(a) The agency shall ensure that an administrative or criminal investigation is completed for all allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment.
(b) The agency shall have in place a policy to ensure that allegations of sexual abuse or sexual harassment are referred for investigation to an agency with the legal authority to conduct criminal investigations, unless the allegation does not involve potentially criminal behavior. The agency shall publish such policy on its website or, if it does not have one, make the policy available through other means. The agency shall document all such referrals.
(c) If a separate entity is responsible for conducting criminal investigations, such publication shall describe the responsibilities of both the agency and the investigating entity.
(d) Any State entity responsible for conducting administrative or criminal investigations of sexual abuse or sexual harassment in community confinement facilities shall have in place a policy governing the conduct of such investigations.
(e) Any Department of Justice component responsible for conducting administrative or criminal investigations of sexual abuse or sexual harassment in community confinement facilities shall have in place a policy governing the conduct of such investigations.
Training and Education
§ 115.231 Employee training.
(a) The agency shall train all employees who may have contact with residents on:
(1) Its zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse and sexual harassment;
(2) How to fulfill their responsibilities under agency sexual abuse and sexual harassment prevention, detection, reporting, and response policies and procedures;
(3) Residents’ right to be free from sexual abuse and sexual harassment;
(4) The right of residents and employees to be free from retaliation for reporting sexual abuse and sexual harassment;
(5) The dynamics of sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement;
(6) The common reactions of sexual abuse and sexual harassment victims;
(7) How to detect and respond to signs of threatened and actual sexual abuse;
(8) How to avoid inappropriate relationships with residents;
(9) How to communicate effectively and professionally with residents, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or gender nonconforming residents; and
(10) How to comply with relevant laws related to mandatory reporting of sexual abuse to outside authorities.
(b) Such training shall be tailored to the gender of the residents at the employee’s facility. The employee shall receive additional training if the employee is reassigned from a facility that houses only male residents to a facility that houses only female residents, or vice versa.
(c) All current employees who have not received such training shall be trained within one year of the effective date of the PREA standards, and the agency shall provide each employee with refresher training every two years to ensure that all employees know the agency’s current sexual abuse and sexual harassment policies and procedures. In years in which an employee does not receive refresher training, the agency shall provide refresher information on current sexual abuse and sexual harassment policies.