Background
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2003 to prevent, detect and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment that occurs in confinement settings. The law was expanded by President Barack Obama in 2012 via executive order to include all federal and Department of Defense correctional facilities. The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission developed national standards which apply to adult prisons and jails, juvenile facilities, lockups and community confinement facilities.
Air Force Corrections System Zero-Tolerance Policy
The Air Force Corrections System has zero tolerance towards all forms of sexual abuse and sexual harassment within its confinement facilities and is committed to preventing, detecting, and responding to such activity. Unit Commanders will immediately respond to allegations and refer sexual abuse or sexual harassment allegations for criminal investigation to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). Disciplinary action will be pursued based upon the outcome of the investigations. Substantiated allegations will be referred for prosecution.
The Air Force has a designated agency-wide PREA Coordinator based at the Air Force Security Forces Center. All confinement facilities have a PREA Compliance Manager who follows the administrative lead of the PREA Coordinator in order to share information and efforts to ensure satisfactory inspection compliance. Air Force confinement facilities have established policy and guidance in accordance with the PREA standards.
Annual PREA Reports
Air Force Corrections collects accurate, uniform data for every allegation of sexual abuse at facilities under its direct control in order to assess and improve the effectiveness of its sexual abuse prevention, detection, and response policies, practices, and training. The Annual PREA Report includes a comparison of the current year's data and corrective actions with those from prior years.
PREA Audit Reports
The Air Force audits facilities under its control during each three-year period. These audits are conducted by Department of Justice certified auditors. The PREA Audit Reports states whether the agency-wide policies and procedures comply with relevant PREA standards.
Third Party Reporting
The Air Force accepts third-party and anonymous reports of sexual abuse and sexual harassment on behalf of a confinee. Please include as much information as possible such as: Name of Confinement Facility of incident, Name of victim(s), witnesses, perpetrators, date/time of incident, and any additional details.