The DOJ PREA Management Office operates under a statutory obligation to evaluate all PREA auditors for compliance with the auditor certification agreement, and is responsible for the enforcement of minimum qualifications for and ethical responsibilities of PREA auditors, including taking disciplinary action as appropriate. (See 34 U.S.C. §30307(e)(8)(A)(iii).) To fulfill its obligation to evaluate an auditor’s performance, the PREA Management Office, through the PREA Audit Oversight Program, monitors and reviews the work of DOJ-certified PREA auditors, with the goal of ensuring the high quality and integrity of PREA audits.
Audit oversight begins with an assessment of auditors’ performance and conduct that guides many of the interventions employed under the oversight umbrella. The audit assessment serves as a diagnostic tool to tailor interventions and sanctions to the individual needs of and challenges identified with auditors’ work. The assessment is also informed by auditors’ performance in these interventions, to form a continuous feedback loop of information that allows the PREA Management Office to proactively provide support to auditors and respond with appropriate sanctions when necessary.
Based on the results of the audit assessment, there are four interventions that may be used by the PREA Management Office to support auditors and critically review their work, including: the Quality Improvement Program managed by the PREA Resource Center; an auditor peer review program; a disciplinary review of auditors who fail to meet the requirements of their auditor certifications; and remediation. These interventions may impact an auditor’s DOJ certification. A full description of these interventions and the audit assessment phase can be found in chapters 20–24 in the PREA Auditor Handbook.