What is PREA? Español

The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA, P.L. 108-79) was enacted by Congress to address the problem of sexual abuse of persons in the custody of U.S. correctional agencies. The Act applies to all public and private institutions that house adult or juvenile offenders and is also relevant to community-based agencies. It addresses both inmate-on-inmate sexual abuse and staff sexual misconduct.

On June 23, 2009, the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission released and forwarded to the U.S. Attorney General its final report and proposed standards to prevent, detect, respond to and monitor sexual abuse of incarcerated and detained individuals. Based on the Attorney General’s independent judgment, a final rule was published to the Federal Register on June 20, 2012 (NIC, 2014).

If you need to know more about PREA, please visit the PREA Resource Center (opens in a new window).

PREA Concern Submission

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has established a policy to adhere to all PREA guidelines. The agency aims to prevent sexual misconduct through education, prevention efforts, and thorough investigations. A zero-tolerance is in effect when it comes to sexual misconduct. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office does not tolerate sexual abuse of inmates by staff, volunteers, contractors, other inmates or anyone else responsible for their care, custody, or control.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office takes great pride in providing the public with professional, transparent service. This link serves as another example of our dedication to the citizens of Harris County, Texas.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse or sexual harassment while confined at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office: Please contact us at HCSOPREAUnit@hctx.net.