Montana Department of Corrections PREA Program Expansion.

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Program provides funding to states, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribes to support comprehensive approaches within state, tribal, and local adult and juvenile correctional facilities to prevent, detect, and respond to incidences of sexual victimization. The PREA Program provides funding to eligible applicants for demonstration projects within confinement settings, including adult prisons and jails; juvenile facilities; community corrections facilities; law enforcement lockups and other temporary holding facilities; and tribal detention facilities. Applicants must successfully communicate a comprehensive approach to the prevention, detection, and response to the incidence of sexual abuse and clearly prioritize gaps which are as of yet unaddressed, either programmatically or through changes in policy and procedures, as they relate to implementation of the PREA standards. The goal of this program is to assist local adult and juvenile facilities in implementing prevention, identification, and response mechanisms that will reduce the incidence of sexual abuse in confinement facilities.

The Montana Department of Corrections (MTDOC) will use their FY14 PREA grant funding to address gaps in the current PREA program. The proposed program will cover all 26 facilities as well as 23 probation and parole offices. The goals of this grant award are: 1) continue to proactively address the Prison Rape Elimination Act within the Montana Department of Corrections; 2) prepare the Montana Department of Corrections for Federal Law of the Prison Rape Elimination Act; 3) promote compassion and responsibility in dealing with prison rape in addition to a zero tolerance policy within the Montana Department of Corrections; 4) strengthen MTDOC's support of PREA standard implementation statewide; and 5) assess MTDOC facilities to identify equipment needs and vulnerabilities.

CA/NCF