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

Abstract

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.