Bill Overview
Title: PREA Rights Enforcement Act of 2022
Description: This bill allows a person to file a civil action against the United States for violations in a federal prison of established national standards for the detection, prevention, reduction, and punishment of prison rape.
Sponsors: Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals in federal prisons who may be victims of prison rape
Estimated Size: 187920
- The bill allows individuals to file civil actions for violations of the Prison Rape Elimination Act's standards.
- It specifically mentions individuals in federal prisons as those who can bring action under the bill.
- The bill is focused on the enforcement of standards within federal prisons, rather than state or local institutions.
- Prisoners are a specific demographic within the population who may directly utilize the provisions of this bill.
Reasoning
- The policy primarily impacts federal prisoners, especially those who might have been victims of prison rape, allowing them an avenue for legal action.
- A significant portion of federal prisoners may not be affected at all if they have not experienced or been threatened by the issues covered by the policy.
- The budget constraints mean that only a subset of potential cases could be pursued, affecting wellbeing outcomes.
- Due to limited budget, the policy implementation could prioritize cases with the most severe implications or clear evidence.
- Individuals outside of the prison system are likely not impacted directly, though there could be indirect societal effects regarding prison reform discourse.
Simulated Interviews
Prison Inmate (Chicago, IL)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 2
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy gives me a chance to speak up and seek justice for what happened to me.
- I am hopeful that with legal support, I can make my case heard.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Prisoner Advocate (New York, NY)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This is a crucial step for inmate rights and holding facilities accountable.
- My work might become more effective with this legal support.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Prison Inmate (Houston, TX)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I haven't experienced this personally, but knowing there's recourse is comforting.
- It's reassuring that violations have consequences.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Lawyer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This legislation may increase the workload but is a positive development for justice reform.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Prison Warden (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 53 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 1/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could make us more accountable, which is positive, but will also increase our administrative load.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Prison Inmate (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 30 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having legal backing could help protect especially vulnerable populations like mine.
- I'm hopeful that this could lead to better treatment overall.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Recently Released Inmate (Dallas, TX)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm glad there's more effort on preventing abuse.
- Support systems for inmates are slowly improving, which this policy aids in.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Prison Teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 41 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I support any measure advancing inmates' rights and dignity.
- This could lead to broader reforms in how we treat inmates.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Journalist (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 37 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Changes like this are crucial for highlighting prison conditions.
- This could shed light on more hidden issues within the system.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Graduate Student (Seattle, WA)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 1/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This development could be an interesting case study for my research.
- It's an important step for inmate rights.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $75000000)
Year 2: $75000000 (Low: $37500000, High: $112500000)
Year 3: $100000000 (Low: $50000000, High: $150000000)
Year 5: $125000000 (Low: $62500000, High: $187500000)
Year 10: $125000000 (Low: $62500000, High: $187500000)
Year 100: $125000000 (Low: $62500000, High: $187500000)
Key Considerations
- Estimating costs for new litigation is inherently uncertain due to variability in claim amounts and outcomes.
- The PREA standards are primarily enforced through administrative mechanisms; this introduces a new pathway for redress that could increase oversight.
- The number of claims could depend heavily on the effectiveness of awareness and outreach efforts among the incarcerated population.