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The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA)

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), a federal law enacted in 2003, was created to eliminate sexual abuse in confinement. In addition to providing federal funding for research, programs, training, and technical assistance to address the issue, the legislation mandated the development of national standards. The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission developed recommended national standards for reducing prison rape. The final standards became effective June 20, 2012, when they were published by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Federal Register. More recently, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released final standards for DHS confinement facilities, effective May 6, 2014.

The full text of the standards can be found at www.PREAResourceCenter.org.

Protecting Those in Our Care 

As stated in our Human Rights Policy statement, CoreCivic recognizes the inherent dignity of the human person and the need to treat every individual with respect. Part of treating our inmates and detainees with respect is giving them a safe place to live. We believe in safeguarding their rights, including protecting them from being subjected to personal abuse/injury and harassment.

To learn more about CoreCivic's efforts to protect inmate and detainee rights, click here to be directed to our page under For Families.
 

Zero Tolerance Policy

In compliance with Section 115.11 of the PREA regulation, CoreCivic has established a Zero Tolerance Policy against all forms of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment. CoreCivic has outlined an aggressive plan specifying the efforts we undertake to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to all allegations of conduct that falls into either category.

This plan is articulated in CoreCivic's Policy 14-2, Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response, which is available here.

Staff Training and Inmate/Detainee Education

CoreCivic has designed a comprehensive training plan for all staff that complies with the content of Section 115.31 of the regulation. The standard requires that this training be refreshed every two years, however, as a part of our commitment to eliminating sexual abuse and sexual harassment in our facilities, CoreCivic has opted to ensure this training is provided annually.

All inmates, detainees, and residents received at a CoreCivic facility beginning at initial reception receive education on the requirements of PREA. This training has a particular focus on CoreCivic's Zero Tolerance Policy, the right to be free from Sexual Harassment and Sexual Abuse, directions on how to report allegations of Sexual Abuse or Sexual Harassment, and the right to be free from retaliation for reporting incidents.

Reporting Allegations of Sexual Abuse/Sexual Harassment 

Anyone can report an allegation or suspected incident of sexual abuse or sexual harassment; including inmates, staff, or third parties. This can include allegations that may have occurred at another correctional facility. At a CoreCivic facility, there are multiple options to file a report; including, but not limited to:

  • Send a letter to the warden of the facility at the address provided on our facility locator.
  • Inmates may notify any staff member either verbally or in writing or they may call the PREA hotline numbers posted at their facilities.
  • Staff may report allegations via their chain of command or anonymously through the employee hotline numbers provided.
  • Staff and third parties may contact the CoreCivic's Ethics and Compliance Hotline: 1-800-461-9330 or e-mail www.corecivic.com/ethicsline

It is not required that any personal information be provided. However, the more information that can be provided regarding dates, times, locations, witnesses, and as much detail about the alleged incident as is known serves to assist staff and law enforcement in their efforts to successfully conduct the investigations.

Investigations 

All allegations of sexual conduct shall be promptly, thoroughly, and objectively investigated. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, each allegation will be classified as Substantiated, Unsubstantiated, or Unfounded. Allegations of Sexual Abuse will be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for investigation and potential prosecution. All substantiated allegations of sexual abuse or sexual harassment will result in the appropriate disciplinary actions taken against the Employee, Contractor, Volunteer, or Inmate, and where appropriate referral for prosecution.   

Facility Investigators have all received specialized training regarding how to conduct investigations of sexual abuse in the correctional setting. Criminal allegations are generally referred via agreement to Local Law Enforcement Agencies or Investigating bodies under the authority of the Contracting Agency.
 

Inquiries

Each CoreCivic facility has a PREA Compliance Manager who can respond to questions and receive reports of allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. In addition,  CoreCivic has a PREA Coordinator who is responsible company-wide for the development, implementation, and oversight essential to demonstrate compliance with the National PREA Standards.

Questions or inquiries can be forwarded to:

Heather Baltz, Senior Director — PREA Compliance and Programs

CoreCivic

5501 Virginia Way, Suite 110

Brentwood, Tennessee, 37027

1-615-263-6725

Note: Institutional employers seeking PREA background information on current or former CoreCivic employees in accordance with PREA Standard 115.17(a)(h) should contact the Human Resources Manager at the last CoreCivic facility where the individual was known to have been employed. Contact numbers for each facility are posted on this web-site. If the facility is closed, inquiries may be submitted to Human Resources at the CoreCivic corporate office.

Resources

The full text of DHS and DOJ PREA Standards can be found below.  Additional  information on the Prison Rape Elimination Act can be obtained from the Department of Justice PREA Resource Center at   www.PREAResourceCenter.org.

Address: 5501 Virginia Way, Suite 110
Brentwood, TN 37027

Phone: 615-263-3000

Fax: 615-263-3140

Fax (for employment verification only): 615-242-5826

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