Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)

The review panel is conducting annual hearings to collect evidence to assist the Bureau of Justice Statistics in identifying common characteristics, not only of victims and perpetrators of prison rape but also of prisons and prison systems with a high incidence of prison rape and those that have successfully deterred prison rape.

The Office for Civil Rights at the Office of Justice Programs ensures that recipients of financial assistance from OJP, as well as the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and the Office on Violence Against Women, comply with federal laws that prohibit discrimination in employment and the delivery of services or benefits based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, and disability. See Civil Rights Requirements for more information.

Recipients of financial assistance from OVW are also prohibited from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. For more information, see Nondiscrimination Grant Condition in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013.

Employees, beneficiaries and applicants for employment or services of any of the above who believe that they have experienced unlawful discrimination may file a complaint.

The Investigative Findings page captures information for a selection of OCR investigations.

Contacts

Director: Michael Alston
OCR Main Line: 202-307-0690
Fax: 202-354-4380
TDD/TTY: 202-307-2027
OCR E-mail: [email protected]

Resources

Other federal civil rights agencies:

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office for Civil Rights
• U.S. Department of Education – Office for Civil Rights
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Fair Housing/Equal Opportunity Office