PREA Audit Process

The PREA Audit process is broken down into three separate phases over the duration of the audit. Listed below is a brief description of each phase and what you can expect during each stage of the PREA Audit. This explanation is a simple prelude to what the PREA audit consists of in it's entirety. 

Pre-Audit Phase

This is the first stage of the audit and where you and Systematic Audits will initiate the process. Once a proposal has been accepted by both parties, the Systematic Audits auditor will initiate a PREA audit through the PREA Resource Center’s Online Audit System (OAS). This system allows the audited facility to download all relevant documentation and operating procedures onto a secure site that can be accessed by the auditor. This portion of the process is referred to as the “Pre-Audit Questionnaire”. The auditor and facility will set milestones and timelines for completion of this portion of the Pre-Audit phase. Once the Pre-Audit Questionnaire has been completed by the facility, the auditor will access and review the documentation. The auditor will then provide an “Issue Log” to the facility for any additional information or documentation that is needed to meet the PREA standard.

Also, during this time the auditor will provide the facility with a PREA Audit Notice that needs to be posted throughout the facility in a timely manner, in different languages, if necessary. The notice provides dates of the upcoming audit and contact information for the auditor, if staff or inmates would like to correspond with the auditor regarding PREA related issues. The auditor will also be providing lists of individuals that will need to be interviewed along with files that will need to be reviewed.

On-Site Phase

In this phase the auditor will schedule a visit to the facility that usually consists of a two or three day stay. During this time, the auditor will conduct an entire tour of the facility and interview the staff and inmates. The auditor will also review specific agency files. They will observe a risk screening interview if possible and test the reporting mechanisms that the facility has in place to report sexual abuse or sexual harassment. 

Post-Audit Phase

Finally the third and final stage of the process is when the auditor gathers all the information obtained through the audit up to this point and triangulates the information to decide if the facility meets each PREA standard. The triangulation of information is when the auditor takes what he or she has observed through the site tour, been told through interviews, and provided through documentation, to determine if the facility exceeds, meets, or does not meet each PREA Standard. The auditor will then create an Interim PREA Report that will be provided to the facility within 45 days of the last day of the on-site visit. A Corrective Action Plan will be developed if needed, and a Final Report will be provided to the Facility/Agency and retained by the PREA Resource Center.