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The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA): Snitching, Sexuality, and Normalizing Deviance

NCJ Number
307754
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparartive Criminology Volume: 18 Dated: 2022
Author(s)
Hayden P. Smith; Creaig A. Dunton
Date Published
2022
Annotation

This paper presents the results of a thematic analysis of the context surrounding the implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act, and discusses the research study’s implications for researchers and practitioners.

Abstract

The normalization of deviance in the form of prison rape finds common themes in media, rape myths, and common discourse. However, these portrayals fail to include real world policies and the perspectives of incarcerated populations. As such, the normalization of deviance is assessed in the context of the implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). The authors conducted a thematic analysis using qualitative survey responses from 407 males incarcerated in three medium-level security state prisons in the Southern United States. Surprisingly, respondents rejected stereotypical notions of sexuality (institutional deviancy) and snitching (cultural deviancy) surrounding prison rape. Rather, respondents favored standardized safety procedures and institutional responses designed to reduced risk, while also endorsing views that traditional snitching codes were not applicable to prison rape. This study provides implications for researchers and practitioners, particularly in the context of the implementation of PREA. Publisher Abstract Provided