Congress passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) in 2003 with unanimous support from both parties. Congress intended that PREA would 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.
In order to enhance treatment strategies and the effectiveness of Trauma Informed Care Integration within the agency, a collaborative, comprehensive, and multi-faceted approach to establishing zero tolerance cultures in its juvenile facilities through this intensive trauma integration effort will be developed. The PREA Academy for Clinical Professionals training will be developed, which will focus on equipping clinical professionals within the department with clinical intervention applications, the establishment of learning communities, and professional consultation. This Academy will allow for expansion of a Trauma Informed Care approach to meet the therapeutic responsibility to committed youth by providing a starting point for engagement and protective skills against future victimization. For the agency to be trauma informed means having a system of care where staff are able to provide effective treatment to juveniles, thus prohibiting the re-traumatization or re-victimization of the youth in custody, and supporting a zero tolerance culture. Investigations that indicated sexual abuse and harassment of institutionalized youth, LGBTQI youth, and female youth is common resulted in the need for the PREA. Seeing confinement through a trauma informed lens provides a different perspective to examine the impact of incarceration and compels juvenile justice institutions to re-evaluate the system dynamics, practices, policies and treatment to reduce the traumatization.
The goal of the PREA Academy for Clinical Professionals is to strengthen and enhance treatment for juveniles within juvenile facilities and community programs. Staff will be exposed to standards through training, educational materials and certification measures. It is expected that the identified measure will improve staff understanding of a Trauma Informed System and will improve the quality of treatment for juveniles thus bringing the agency closer to full compliance of a zero tolerance system that more trauma focused.
NCA/NCF
