National Institute of Corrections Library

“A prison or jail sentence should never include sexual assault. On May 17, 2012, the Department of Justice released the final federal regulations implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). These regulations apply to federal, state and local correctional facilities and lock-ups and include key protections for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) individuals. Despite— or likely because of—the decade-long process leading up to the passage of the final regulations, much confusion remains about how PREA’s protections can be leveraged to protect LGBTI individuals from sexual assault. This four-part toolkit is designed for advocates both in and outside of correctional settings to use PREA’s requirements to end the abuse of LGBTI individuals. As federal, state and local agencies reassess their policies and practices to come into compliance with PREA, there will be key opportunities to make important policy changes that will impact all individuals in confinement settings.” (p. ii). Part One “Advocacy Guide”—sections addressing documenting violations, policy and legislative change, and key LGBTI issues to monitor in custodial settings. Part Two “Overview”—sections covering what PREA is, whether LGBTI individuals are particularly vulnerable in prison, jail and juvenile detention, whether the PREA regulations include protections for LGBTI individuals, and how facilities should protect LGBTI individuals from abuse. Part Three “Know Your Rights” sections explaining what PREA is, PREA regulations apply to all the prisons and jails, how PREA protects LGBTI individuals, and what one can do if the facility holding them is not following PREA. Part Four “Regulations” containing the full text of key LGBTI provisions. SOURCE: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) (New York, NY).

The relationship between the levels of stress experiences by correctional officers and their opinion of inmates is examined. “Lower supervisory support and perceptions of the job being dangerous were associated with higher levels of job stress. More importantly, correctional officers who saw inmates as intimidated (not arrogant) and nonmanipulative reported lower levels of job stress, while officers who perceived inmates as being unfriendly, antisocial, and cold reported higher levels of stress” (p. 1). Authored by Misis, Marcos; Kim, Bitna; Cheeseman, Kelly; Hogan, Nancy L.; Lambert, Eric G..