Are volunteers and contractors subject to PREA standards?

• A. Yes; any individual working in the facility must comply with PREA policies and receive appropriate training
• B. No
• C. Only volunteers
• D. Only contractors

Answer: (A)

Voluntary compliance with PREA applies to everyone who works in a facility and may have contact with residents, not just paid staff. This means volunteers and contractors must be trained and follow PREA policies because they can interact with residents and access areas where abuse could occur. Training and policy awareness for these groups ensure a consistent standard of safety, reporting procedures, and accountability across all people on site, which is the heart of PREA’s protective framework. Saying that only volunteers or only contractors are covered would miss the reality that both groups can affect resident safety, and excluding either would create gaps in prevention and response. So, the right approach is that any individual working in the facility must comply with PREA policies and receive appropriate training.