FY22 Indiana PREA Reallocation

The Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) has been addressing PREA issues in its facilities since the statewide Sexual Assault Prevention Plan and PREA risk assessment were developed more than a decade ago. Through attaining compliance with PREA standards, it is anticipated that facilities should be able to significantly impact the safety of their facilities, but the challenges of culture change, prevention, and education are ongoing. IDOC plans to contract PREA auditors to audit 6 IDOC facilities in Year 1 of Audit Cycle 4 as required by standard 115.401. In Audit Cycle 3, Indiana prisons and juvenile facilities were audited by DOJ certified PREA auditors. Several areas of non-compliance were identified and corrected during the corrective action period through physical plant changes, training, procedure or policy revisions. One area that regularly has been identified as needing correction is in investigations. An additional training is still needed to include the remaining investigators that did not attend the previous trainings and all facility Wardens. Currently the IDOC has a contract with the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence to provide victim advocate services via hotline on the offender phone system at all IDOC facilities to meet standard 115.53. IDOC will utilize FY 22 grant funds to meet the following goals: (1) Reduce sexual victimization in correctional facilities by contracting DOJ certified auditors to conduct audits at IDOC facilities during Audit Cycle 3, Year 3; (2) Work to reduce sexual victimization in correctional facilities by improving the investigation of sexual abuse through additional training for agency investigators and Wardens; and, (3) Provide emotional support services to victims of sexual abuse in all IDOC facilities.