The PRC is proud to announce the PREA legal landscape webinar series with Professor Brenda V. Smith of Smith Consulting, former commissioner for the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission. Beginning in February 2021, this webinar series examined how PREA has altered the legal landscape for stakeholders affected by the Act and its Standards, by examining the following topics: prisoner litigation, employment litigation issues, and prosecution of sexual abuse in custody. Agency and facility leaders as well as certified PREA auditors will benefit from this series.
The first webinar in the series examined how PREA has affected prisoner litigation regarding sexual assault in custody; whether PREA has affected the limitations imposed by the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA); and how the courts are interpreting and applying violations of PREA in its decisions. Webinar viewers:
- Learned how the courts are interpreting agencies' responsibilities to protect constitutional rights regarding sexual safety in custody.
- Reviewed how the courts are interpreting staff, facility leadership and agency responsibility in ruling on cases involving sexual abuse in custody.
- Gained understanding of how proper implementation of PREA standards can affect agency liability in offender litigation.