Michigan PREA Reallocation Project

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) provides that a state or territory whose governor does not certify full compliance with the standards is subject to the loss of five percent of any DOJ grant funds that it would otherwise receive for prison purposes, unless the governor submits an assurance that such five percent will be used only for the purpose of enabling the state to achieve and certify full compliance with the standards in future years. See 42 U.S.C. 15607(c). The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program is one of the DOJ grant programs subject to this requirement in fiscal year (FY) 2015, which commenced on October 1, 2014 and ends on September 30, 2015.

The goals of the FY 2015 PREA Reallocation JAG Program are to continue implementation of the national standards to prevent, detect, and respond to prison rape in order to protect individuals from sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement. The recipient will use awarded PREA Reallocation funds for the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC)to certify each of its PREA Coordinators as PREA auditors. This will allow the MDOC to provide hands on audit preparation of its facilities by allowing certified PREA auditors at each facility to prepare the facility and to assist with conducting mock audits throughout the Department. Offender access to PREA auditors at the facility level will also assist the Department in most efficiently addressing PREA complaints and sexual abuse allegations.

NCA/NCF