Louisiana's Next Step Toward Zero Tolerance

Authorized under the Prison Rape Elimination Act, the FY20 PREA Program: Implementing the PREA Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities will assist confinement facilities and the agencies that oversee them in implementing prevention, identification, and response mechanisms that reduce the incidence of sexual abuse in these facilities, and to promote compliance with the PREA standards. Program funds will be used to support efforts of state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse in confinement facilities covered by the PREA standards; promote comprehensive implementation of the standards; and enhance community safety by decreasing the likelihood that inmates, residents, and detainees are sexually victimized in confinement facilities prior to release.

The recipient will use funds to assist confinement facilities and the agencies that oversee them in preventing, identifying, and responding to sexual abuse and sexual harassment in these facilities, and to support compliance with the PREA standards. Specifically, a portion of funds will be used to address staffing issues, risk screening requirements, and possible effects of theses items on youth safety with an extensive staffing analysis. The overall strategy is to publish an RFP so that a contractor can perform a comprehensive staffing analysis. The analysis will result in a new staffing plan, which teaches staff how to integrate PREA principles within the context of conscientious, living management of youth and staff safety, followed by aloof observance and after-the-fact reliance on cameras.

CA/NCF