Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), signed into law on September 4, 2003.

Passed with unanimous bipartisan support, PREA established a historic federal zero-tolerance standard for sexual abuse and harassment inside America’s correctional and detention facilities. It fundamentally shifted the landscape of correctional oversight by requiring strict national standards, mandatory data collection, and independent compliance audits.

Over more than two decades, we have seen significant strides in correctional culture, trauma-informed staff training, and the normalization of internal accountability. PREA Coordinators from agencies large and small, together with their partners in implementing the protections fostered through PREA, have worked tirelessly to transition PREA’s zero-tolerance approach and the National PREA Standards into safer everyday environments for incarcerated individuals and facility staff alike.

On this anniversary, we reflect on how far we’ve come, but today is also a vital reminder of an ongoing obligation. We still have much to do. 

The persistence of sexual abuse in custody demands our unyielding attention. True safety requires continuous vigilance, transparent auditing, and an unyielding commitment to the dignity and human rights of everyone in custody.

Today, we honor the courage of survivors—both those who have stepped forward to report abuse and those who have endured in silence. Their voices are the driving force behind the continued demand for total elimination of abuse in confinement.

Let us use this milestone to recommit to the core mission of PREA: ensuring that human rights do not stop at the facility gates.

Prison Rape Elimination Act signing ceremony, September 4, 2003.