PREA- Prison rape elimination act

to RAPE in Confinement Settings

PREA stands for the Prison Rape Elimination Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on September 4, 2003. The final regulatory standards to implement PREA went into effect August 20, 2012.  

The department takes very seriously its PREA responsibilities in order to ensure public safety, secure correctional facilities and a safe environment for all offenders. 

PREA is intended to address the detection, prevention, reduction, and prosecution of sexual harrassment and sexual assault in all correctional facilities in the country. 

PREA applies to all confinement facilities in the state.  The includes prisons, jails, police lock ups, juvenile facilities, immigration detention centers, court holding facilities, and community correction facilities (home monitoring, probation, parole, halfway houses).

• Verbal or written report to any staff member.
• Submission of a DC-135A, Inmate Request to Staff Member
• Incidents of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and retaliation can be reported in writing by sending correspondence through mail to the OSIG Attn: PREA Coordinator, Office of State Inspector General, 555 Walnut St. 8th floor, Harrisburg PA 17101
• Request more information from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, P.O. Box 400, Enola, PA 17025

• Verbal report to the Security Captain or Shift Commander
• Submission of a written Incident/Extraordinary Occurrence Report
• Staff may report privately to: OSIG Attn: PREA Coordinator, Office of State Inspector General, 555 Walnut St. 8th floor, Harrisburg PA 17101

 Incidents of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and retaliation can be reported in writing by sending correspondence through mail to the OSIG Attn: PREA Coordinator, Office of State Inspector General, 555 Walnut St. 8th floor, Harrisburg PA 17101 

All allegations of potentially identified criminal behavior shall be referred by the Security Office to the Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence (BII) or Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), who have the legal authority to conduct criminal investigations.