Preventing and Responding to Corrections-Based Sexual Abuse: A Guide for Community Corrections Professionals

The purpose of the guide is to help officers better identify the signs of sexual assault victimization, provide valuable information to victims about available treatment options, and design supervision strategies appropriate for both sexual assault victims and perpetrators.

While an effective response to sexual assault issues requires attention from all levels of a community corrections agency, the purpose of this guide is to provide information to front-line community corrections professionals about corrections-based sexual assault, PREA, and the various roles those front-line professionals play in addressing this issue. This guide is designed to serve as a how-to book for community corrections officers, providing background information on the problem of corrections-based sexual abuse, the impact of victimization on offender behavior, and practical steps that front-line officers and supervisors can take to better prevent and respond to incidents of sexual violence.

The guide was developed for front-line community corrections officers and supervisors, and it should be noted that this target audience represents a wide variety of individuals serving in a diverse set of roles. The field of community corrections covers a range of programs and services including, but not limited to, probation, parole, work release, halfway houses, pretrial services, community service, and substance abuse treatment programs. The intention of this guide is to provide a general overview of corrections-based sexual assault as it relates to line staff and supervisors in community corrections agencies.