Access the Online Audit System
Standard 115.401(d) requires DOJ to “develop and issue an audit instrument that will provide guidance on the conduct of and contents of the audit.” To fulfill this requirement, DOJ developed an audit instrument for each set of PREA Standards: prisons and jails, lockups, community confinement facilities, and juvenile facilities. Each instrument includes a series of guiding documents and tools that auditors are required to use when conducting an audit.
The audit instrument is comprised of two components:
- The core components consist of the Pre-Audit Questionnaire, the Auditor Compliance Tool, and the Audit Report Template. These core components are built directly into the Online Audit Instrument and automatically populate designated information from one component to the next.
- The evidence collection components include the interview protocols, site review instructions, and checklist of documentation. The evidence collection components of the audit instrument are accessible via the PRC website and are intended to direct auditors on the identification and collection of the necessary evidence base required to demonstrate the audited facility’s compliance in practice.
As of June 30, 2022, all auditors are required to use the Online Audit System for conducting and reporting PREA audits. The PREA Management Office will consider, on a case-by-case basis, exceptions that may require an auditor to conduct an audit using the paper audit instrument. In these rare circumstances, auditors approved to conduct an audit using the paper audit instrument will be required to complete their reporting requirements using the OAS Paper Audit Reporting Portal. Auditors should be aware that these approvals will be exceptional and limited.