Prison Rape Elimination: A History

• In Event: Shape Shifters: The Influence of Civil Society on Public Policy

Abstract

Over the course of US history, the criminal justice system has undergone various, political, structural, financial, and policy changes due to the ever-fluctuating stance that is taken on crime. Despite these fluctuations, one thing that has remained consistent is the vulnerability of those who are incarcerated. It is with this vulnerability in mind that this paper attempts to evaluate and contextualize one of the most important pieces of corrections legislation, the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), and evaluates “prison rape’s” place on the national agenda overtime. This evaluation is accomplished through asking the question: what led to the creation and passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act, and if/to what extent does the pressure of interest groups, political landscape and social pressures impact policy passage for vulnerable groups? There is a plethora of avenues for policy change, creation, and implementation. I argue that the biggest indicator of change for socially vulnerable groups who are deemed “deviant” to society is social pressure and the involvement of interest groups.

Author

• Amber Morris