WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 9, 2021 – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has awarded a $94,113 grant to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) through its Implementing the PREA Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities Program. Funding will be used to create safer facilities to enhance compliance with Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards through comprehensive training and enhanced safety and surveillance protocols.
“There’s no reason why incarcerated individuals and prisons workers should be at risk of physical harm, including and especially sexual assault and harassment,” Brown said. “The funds are important to help the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction update its facilities to become PREA compliant.”
ODRC is responsible for providing funding and oversight to 18 community based correctional facilities located at 21 sites and 13 halfway house agencies in more than 30 sites statewide who provide treatment, education, employment and special services to adult offenders. Grant funding will be used to promote safety for both staff and residents by providing the necessary supplies and equipment to enhance PREA compliance.