Sexual and physical safety: perceptions of incarcerated women

The purpose of this study was to collect, track and analyze data from the inmates perspective to ensure that sexual abuse and harassment was being adequately prevented, detected and responded to appropriately and within a reasonable time frame.

Using the Prison Rape Elimination Act Survey Instrument, inmates were selected using a convenience sampling method to complete the survey. Once an inmate completed the survey during the year, she was taken off the polling roster not to be surveyed again within that year.

The perceptions of the female inmates indicated that sexual harassment and sexual abuse at this facility have decreased. However, despite increased staff training and education, inmate perceptions were that verbal abuse continues to occur between staff and inmates as well as between inmates.

Department of Corrections (DOC) was required to collect data on PREA and inmate safety for the first time, thus there is no comparison data prior to implementing improvements. A weakness of Likert-type scale is that participants may avoid extreme response categories, which could lead to a central tendency bias. In addition, participants may respond to statements using the option "neither agree nor disagree" to please prison personnel, which could lead to an acquiescence bias in their responses.

Zero-tolerance becomes operational, not just policy immediate safety actions after an allegation gender-responsive searches and cross-gender supervision intake screening that actually drives housing and work assignments staff hiring, training and boundaries specialized investigations and evidence handling.

Legitimacy and trust in the institution reporting behavior - both up and down culture change and staff-resident relations protection for vulnerable groups health and mental-health access.

This study was a result of a US Department of Justice settlement with a state DOC which included polling the female inmates on their physical and sexual safety.