Which PREA practice supports informed housing decisions to reduce risk?

• A. Housing decisions ignore risk assessments.
• B. Housing is assigned randomly.
• C. Risk assessments inform housing decisions.
• D. Housing decisions are based on availability only.

Answer: (C)

Using risk assessment results to guide housing decisions is how PREA promotes safety. When staff base housing placements on each resident’s risk level and specific needs, they can place individuals in environments that reduce opportunities for harm—such as providing additional supervision, separation when needed, or targeted housing assignments that reflect past victimization or perpetration risk. This proactive approach helps create a safer environment for everyone and helps ensure responses align with documented safety factors.

Other approaches bypass this protective step. Ignoring risk assessments means missing critical information that could indicate someone needs extra protection or closer oversight. Random housing ignores safety considerations altogether, increasing the chance of harm. Making housing decisions based only on availability neglects the resident’s safety needs and undermines PREA obligations to reduce risk.