Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)
General Information
In 2003, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act (known as “PREA”), in an effort to eliminate sexual abuse in correctional (‘confinement’) settings. The passing of this Act resulted in the establishment of the National Prison Rape Elimination Committee (NPREC). This committee developed national standards designed to prevent, detect, and respond to prison rape, which were finalized in 2012. Four sets of standards were developed for the following types of confinement settings: (1) adult prisons and jails, (2) juvenile facilities, (3) community corrections facilities, and (4) temporary holding facilities. The El Paso County Criminal Justice Center follows the standards applicable to adult prisons and jails. In order for correctional facilities to be considered PREA compliant, they are to be audited every three (3) years by DOJ-Certified Auditors. The results of these audits will be posted to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office website. The Sheriff’s Office completed a formal PREA audit in June 2016.
Third party complaints, on behalf of an inmate, can go directly to the PREA Coordinator. Confined inmates may report concerns through the inmate kiosk system located within each housing unit, to the PREA Coordinator, or to the crime tips hotline at (719) 520-7095. All allegations of sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment will be referred for investigation.