Other Corrections

The team was invited by the American Correctional Association to deliver a presentation on contraband cellphone-related challenges and the latest developments to combat these at their summer conference in August 2024. The presentation was well-attended by correctional practitioners in the US and other countries, researchers, and students. Attendees were offered an opportunity for in-person light touch TTA following the presentation, with several practitioners meeting with members of the project team regarding questions about interdiction practices and technology implementation.

The OAS Technical Support team administers, maintains, and continues to evolve the Online Audit System (OAS).

Auditors identified in the peer review or documentation review process and referred to peer mentoring by the PREA Management Office (PMO) receive one-on-one coaching from DOJ-certified PREA auditors who are specially trained as peer mentors. National PREA Resource Center (PRC) staff also serve as mentors. Mentors receive intensive training to provide support and resources to a mentored auditor, as well as ongoing support by oversight staff.

Where an auditor's work has been reviewed in either the peer review process or a documentation review and demonstrates a misunderstanding of PREA Standards or difficulty complying with practices that are outlined in the PREA Auditor Handbook, National PREA Resource Center (PRC) staff works with the PREA Management Office (PMO) to define remediation steps to support the auditor's learning and continuing audit practice. Remediation plans include PMO-approved resources, tools, and mentoring by a peer of the auditor or PRC staff.

Peer reviewers assess auditors' work utilizing a standardized scoring rubric. The National PREA Resource Center PRC) deploys two reviewers for each peer review to conduct a rigorous examination of all the evidence and documentation relied upon by an auditor. The peer reviewers determine the extent to which the auditor has made accurate compliance findings and followed the methodological requirements defined in the PREA Auditor Handbook. From July to December 2024, the PRC worked on seven (7) peer reviews.

Operated the recertification process for auditors who were due to be recertified on December 31, 2024. This includes communicating with auditors on a regular basis, tracking completion of recertification requirements, and administering the recertification exam, in addition to coordinating with the PREA Management Office (PMO) to send status notices to auditors.

This cohort saw 80 eligible auditors select to either recertify (49) go or remain inactive (23), or fail to recertify (8). Three (3) are eligible to be reinstated through the Path Back to Certification Program.

The Path Back to Certification Program exists to allow auditors who failed the auditor recertification exam (and retake exam) another opportunity to maintain their certification following additional remedial coursework and another exam. This program had three (3) participants during the December 2024 session, two (2) of whom passed and had their recertification reinstated and two (2) failed either the exam or to complete the other requirements to be reinstated.

The National PREA Resource Center (PRC) executed the decertification process when decertification of an auditor was issued by DOJ. Nine (9) auditors were decertified due to a failure to complete recertification requirements and one (1) auditor voluntarily surrendered their certification between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.

Portal Tech Support Requests can be submitted at any time via a form on the National PREA Resource Center (PRC) website. Over the 6 month period between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024, 130 such cases were submitted.

The auditor feedback form is comprised of complaints submitted to the National PREA Resource Center (PRC) from various sources of information pertaining to PREA audits, i.e., victim advocates, corrections staff, PREA Coordinators etc. These complaints are reviewed regularly by the PRC, and BJA. Certain complaints are referred to PREA Management Office (PMO) for a more in depth review depending upon the nature of the complaint. Number of Auditor Feedback Form submissions received, reviewed, and referred to PMO between July - December 2024: 16