HUFF POST COLUMN: Some Republican governors continue to dodge the federal law that aims to prevent rape in U.S.
correctional facilities, despite a looming Justice Department deadline that will hit uncooperative states with financial penalties.
The lack of enthusiasm shown by some states to meet basic federal standards may create a setback for groups trying to stop sexual assault in American prisons. Already, criminal justice reform advocates are fearing that lawmakers on the Hill will soon push a proposal to weaken the penalties on states that don’t comply to federal rules.
At issues is the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), which passed in 2003 with a high level of bipartisan support. After years of study, the Obama administration finalized the law’s requirements in 2012. The law, which applies to public and private lockups and extends to both adult and juvenile offenders, sets a number of anti-rape requirements — including that youth must be housed separately from adults, that sexual abuse victims must have access to free forensic medical evaluations and that facilities beef up reporting on sexual assault… (more)
