Pathway’s Renewed Inc. Scores 100% Compliance in Meeting and/or Exceeding Federal PREA Standards

We are happy to announce the successful completion of Federally mandated Prison Rape Elimination Act audit in November of 2019. Pathways met and or exceeded 100% of the standards on our first try. Auditor Pat Zirpoli wrote, ”During my tour of the facility, I observed the information on the Prison Rape Elimination Act, and reporting avenues located throughout the facility, all of this information is also available to the inmates in their issued intake paperwork. I found that staff, as well as residents, move throughout the facility frequently. This movement of staff and residents deters any violation of the PREA policy and, more importantly, provides an overall safe environment for both residents and staff.

During the onsite audit, I was impressed with the overall culture of the facility, and the professional as well as respectful treatment of the residents. I strongly believe that this culture helps to maintain a safe environment at the facility, and has built confidence in the residents to report any issues directly to staff. This was corroborated during my interviews with the residents during the onsite audit.”

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was passed in 2003 with unanimous support from both parties in Congress. The purpose of the act was to “provide for the analysis of the incidence and effects of prison rape in Federal, State, and local institutions and to provide information, resources, recommendations and funding to protect individuals from prison rape.” (Prison Rape Elimination Act, 2003). In addition to creating a mandate for significant research from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and through the National Institute of Justice, funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National Institute of Corrections supported major efforts in many state correctional, juvenile detention, community corrections, and jail systems.

The act also created the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission and charged it with developing draft standards for the elimination of prison rape. Those standards were published in June 2009, and were turned over to the Department of Justice for review and passage as a final rule. That final rule became effective August 20, 2012. 

In 2010, the Bureau of Justice Assistance funded the National PREA Resource Center to continue to provide federally funded training and technical assistance to states and localities, as well as to serve as a single-stop resource for leading research and tools for all those in the field working to come into compliance with the federal standards.