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National Prison Rape Elimination Commission

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NPREC commissioners during a public hearing

The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC) is a U.S. bipartisan panel established by the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act.

History

The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC) was established when President George W. Bush signed the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 on September 4 of that year.[1] The commissioners were appointed in June 2004.[2] The commission was a major component of that legislation and it was given subpeona powers as well as authorization to conduct a broad based study of prison rape in the United States.[1] In 2005 the commission received a federal earmark of US$987,000 to begin the implementation of the mandated provisions of the 2003 law that established the panel.[3]

The panel sought to obtain information from a variety of sources, which included a round of public hearings in locations nationwide. The first public hearing was held in Notre Dame, Indiana on March 31, 2005. Hearings continued into at least late 2007 in other locations, including Boston, New Orleans, and San Francisco, where commissioners heard from victims of prison rape as well as federal lawmakers.[4] After seeking outside input from aforementioned sources and others the commission announced the release of "draft standards for the reduction of prison rape" on May 5, 2008. Following a public comment period the standards will eventually be incorporated into the final report and recommendations to federal and state leaders.[5]

The panel's original period of existence was to date 3 years after its inception, when it would release its report.[6] The miscellaneous provisions the Second Chance Act of 2007, largely a law designed to help reintegrate criminal offenders into the community, extended the existence of the NPREC from 3 years to 5 years after its inception date.[7]

Mission

The NPREC is charged with studying federal, state and local government polcies and practices concerning sexual assaults and crimes within the prison and jail systems. The study will culminate with the release of a report on its findings, conclusions and recommendations to the President, Congress, the U.S. Attorney General and other state and federal officials.[8]

Members

Reggie B. Walton, chairman of NPREC

Upon its creation the panel consisted of nine members, three presidential appointees and six Congressional appointees.[9] The official NPREC web site lists eight commissioners, including a chairman and a vice-chair.[10] The current chairman is Judge Reggie B. Walton of the Washington D.C. United States District Court.[10][2] The current vice-chair is John A. Kaneb; the other six members are: James E. Aiken, Jamie Fellner, Pat Nolan, Gus Puryear, Brenda V. Smith, and Cindy Struckman-Johnson.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Jordan, Andrew, Morgan, Marcia, and McCampbell, Michael. "The Prison Rape Elimination Act: What Police Chiefs Need to Know", The Police Chief, vol. 73, no. 4, April 2006, accessed June 3, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Marshall, Carolyn. "Panel on Prison Rape Hears Victims' Chilling Accounts ", The New York Times, August 20, 2005, accessed June 3, 2008.
  3. ^ "Implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 - National Prison Rape Elimination Commission", The White House, Office of Management and Budget, 2005, accessed June 4, 2008.
  4. ^ Research and Information Gathering", (PDF), National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, November 2007, accessed June 3, 2008.
  5. ^ "Bipartisan Prison Rape Commission Releases Draft Standards for Helping Corrections Facilities Achieve Zero-Tolerance", (PDF), (Press release), National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, May 5, 2008, accessed June 4, 2008.
  6. ^ "Public Law 108-79, September 4, 2003", Office of Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Programs, United States Department of Justice, September 4, 2003, accessed June 5, 2008.
  7. ^ H.R. 1593 - Bill Summary & Status File", The Library of Congress THOMAS.gov, April 9, 2008 (last update), accessed June 5, 2008.
  8. ^ "About NPREC", National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, accessed June 3, 2008.
  9. ^ Strode, Tom. "Law targeting prison rape signed; diverse coalition backed measure", Baptist Press, September 3, 2003, accessed June 3, 2008.
  10. ^ a b c "The Commissioners", National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, accessed June 3, 2008.
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