Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was signed into law by President George W. Bush on September 4, 2003. It was created to eliminate sexual abuse in confinement facilities including adult prisons and jails, lockups, community confinement facilities and juvenile facilities.  PREA includes forty-three (43) standards that define three clear goals, to prevent, detect and respond to sexual abuse.

The Missoula County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) is responsible for protecting the rights of inmates and offenders placed under the Department's custody and supervision.  This includes providing inmates with a safe environment, free from sexual abuse, sexual battery and sexual harassment.  The Department has established a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of sexual abuse, sexual battery and sexual harassment, pursuant to the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003.  Zero-tolerance applies not only to incidents between inmates, but also to incidents involving staff members, contractors, and volunteers.  The policy also encompasses an inmate, staff or volunteer's right to be free from retaliation if they report an incident or participate in an investigation.

Missoula County Detention Facility will ensure that all reports of sexual abuse and sexual harassment are investigated. Sexual harassment violations will be investigated by administrative staff. Criminal investigations of Sexual Abuse will be completed by the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office. The victim will have the right to know the outcome of the investigation and can request a copy of the report.   

For more information on The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), use the resources in the section below. 

For questions or comments regarding The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) please contact MCDF at mcdfweb@missoulacounty.us or call us at (406) 258-4000.

Please use prea@missoulacounty.us to submit 3rd party forms from the list below.

Resources: