Federal Funding Cuts Target Efforts to Reduce Sexual Abuse in Prisons
Prisons are in crisis across the country. For years, they have struggled with high rates of violence and trauma, inadequate health care and resources, overcrowding, and severe staffing shortages. These conditions affect both the people behind bars and corrections staff, who generally experience high rates of health issues and substance use, as well as lower life expectancy.
Federal investment in prison reform in recent decades has helped promote better conditions. Examples include grants to implement evidence-based programs in education and reentry. Nowhere is this truer, though, than in curbing sexual violence behind bars. The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), passed with unanimous bipartisan support and signed by President George W. Bush in 2003, established zero tolerance for prison rape and provided funding and resources to address conditions that foster sexual violence.
