As part of the requirement to achieve PREA auditor certification, the National PREA Resource Center (PRC) and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) PREA Management Office use the Field Training Program (FTP) to provide field auditing experience, in a supervised and supported environment, for trainees who are seeking PREA auditor certification. The goals for this program are to strengthen auditor trainees’ PREA auditing skills, increase their experience with the PREA auditing process and methodology, enhance their understanding of the PREA Standards, and provide an opportunity to become familiar with and use the audit instrument and other audit tools. The success of the FTP relies upon acquiring confinement facilities willing to host the program whilst gaining the benefit of support and subject-matter expertise of FTP faculty and a roadmap to advance their PREA implementation efforts.
Hosting an FTP audit allows host facilities to gauge where they are with PREA implementation and/or to advance and hone their sexual safety efforts. Host facilities can take advantage of subject matter experts, assistance with implementation challenges, and practical experience in preparing for an official compliance audit. (Note: Participation in an FTP training audit does not qualify as an official PREA compliance audit.) Experienced FTP faculty lead the field training audit, offer guidance and mentorship to trainees, and support host facilities through every step of the process.
The field training audit process mirrors an official PREA audit in most ways through pre-onsite, onsite, and post-onsite audit phases. The field training audit differs from that of an official PREA audit by: 1) including a project kickoff phase prior to the pre-onsite phase, 2) providing a Gap Analysis instead of a full PREA Audit Report, and 3) offering training and technical assistance in lieu of a corrective action period. From the start of the project kickoff phase to the end of the post-onsite phase, the field training audit is 27 weeks in duration and is broken down as follows:
- During the eight-week project kickoff phase, the PRC’s FTP faculty will work closely to provide ongoing support to the facility for completion of the Pre-Audit Questionnaire in the Online Audit System, obtaining information critical for the audit, and collaborating with the facility PREA team to support audit functions. Regular contact is established in this phase to facilitate audit and logistical planning.
- During the eight-week pre-onsite phase, regular contact continues between the facility and FTP lead faculty for ongoing information and documentation gathering as well as solidifying onsite logistics.
- During the four-day onsite phase, the FTP team will coordinate with facility staff to conduct the facility site review, observe sexual safety practices, test critical functions, interview staff and people in confinement, and conduct documentation review.
- During the ten-week post-onsite phase, the FTP team will analyze all evidence collected and provide a Gap Analysis report; a thorough assessment of compliance, with corrective action recommendations, on 18 select PREA Standards often found to be the most challenging for implementing and sustaining compliance.
After the post-onsite phase ends, the FTP avails host facilities with up to 30 hours of technical assistance to prioritize targeted implementation needs and remedy gaps in compliance identified by the FTP team.
While participation in the program requires staff time and the use of facility resources, such as space and equipment, there is no financial cost to facilities for taking advantage of this beneficial training opportunity.
Facility eligibility
In an effort to provide the most meaningful training experience, the PRC is interested in facilities, ideally with an average daily population between 200 and 1000 for prisons and jails or at least 75 residents for juvenile facilities, that:
- Possess capability (i.e. adequate internet access) to complete an online Pre-Audit Questionnaire.
- Have onsite medical and mental health services.
- Have a private workspace for the audit team that provides internet access to the full team (11-16 people).
- Are within approximately 50-70 miles of a major airport.
- Are within approximately 10 miles of a hotel that will provide reasonable accommodations at the government lodging rate.
- Can provide transportation for the audit team to and from the airport; one trip from the airport at the beginning of the onsite week and one trip to the airport at end of the week, as well as to and from the hotel to the facility each day.
A signed statement of support from the agency director who oversees the facility (or their equivalent) is required. This statement should indicate that the agency director (or their equivalent) is supportive of the facility's participation in the FTP and commitment of resources for the training audit.
Upcoming FTP Training audits
The application for host facilities is not currently open, though, we strongly encourage interested facilities to submit contact information here so we can reach out directly when the application becomes available.
If you have any questions about hosting the Field Training Program, contact Moss Woodbury [email protected].
Field Training Program events are pending availability of funds and an extension of the cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) for operation of the PRC.
Testimonials
“Insanely helpful, we learned a lot about implementation and things we needed to work on and it helped tremendously in prepping for our audit. Glad we did it, could not have passed our 2022 audit without doing it.”
– St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department
“The FTP assisted with letting us know where we are as a facility and a clear overview of what an audit will look like when we become compliant.” – Clark County Detention Center
“The PRC Field Training Program is a great learning tool, not only for the auditor trainees but for facility staff as well. We hope to be able to participate in the FTP again in the future.” – Baker County Detention Center