Correctional officer and inmate perceptions of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA): A thematic analysis

ABSTRACT

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was created to address sexual violence occurring in corrections. To date, there has been a dearth of PREA studies that include the perceptions of correctional officers and inmates. The current study utilizes a thematic analysis to assess qualitative responses from 66 correctional officers and 407 inmates in three medium-security men’s state prisons. Key themes that focus on the strengths associated with the implementation of PREA include overall climate improvement, increased awareness, and victim support/protection. Key themes that focused on the weaknesses associated with the implementation of PREA included staffing crisis, reporting issues, PREA not taken seriously, and PREA not essential. The implications of these themes are discussed with reference to policy implications.

KEYWORDS:

• Prison Rape Elimination Act
• PREA
• qualitative analysis
• correctional officers
• inmates
• prison

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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Hayden Smith

Hayden Smith is a Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina. His principal focus of study is the intersection of the criminal justice and public health systems. This includes self-injurious and suicide behaviors in incarcerated populations, the physical and mental health needs of correctional populations, jail diversion, wellbeing and safety in correctional staff, and reentry initiatives. Dr. Smith has expertise in program evaluation and policy analysis and has worked with a number of correctional and health systems. Dr. Smith’s previous publications have appeared in Justice Quarterly, Crime & Delinquency, and Criminal Justice & Behavior.