The Prison Rape Elimination Act

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was passed unanimously by both parties in Congress in 2003. The purpose of the act is to “provide for the analysis of the incidence and effects of prison rape in federal, state, and local institutions and to provide information, resources, recommendations and funding to protect individuals from prison rape.” (Prison Rape Elimination Act, 2003.)

The act also created the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission and charged it with drafting standards for eliminating prison rape. Those standards were published in June 2009 and turned over to the Department of Justice for review and passage as a final rule. The Department of Justice published the final PREA Standards in the Federal Register on June 20, 2012, and they became effective August 20, 2012.

During my tenure with the Pennsylvania State Police I was assigned to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections on the implementation of the PREA Standards specifically from an investigation perspective. In November of 2014 I became a Certified DOJ PREA Auditor for Adult Correctional Facilities. Since January of 2015 I have been conducting PREA Audits for both Governmental and Private Agencies. Some of my clients are the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, New Hampshire Department of Corrections, Firetree LTD, and Gaudenzia Inc.

I pride myself on my knowledge of the PREA Standards but more importantly their application to the specific facilities I am auditing. Each facility operates differently, which must be taken into consideration when reviewing the daily operations, policies, procedures, etc. I strictly follow the guidance from the PREA Resource Center and the PREA Auditor Handbook during the process. I also look at every audit as a learning experience not only for the facility but myself. I always take away something from each audit and look for best practices to share with other facilities.

I have developed a PREA Investigators Training Course which fulfills all requirements of the standards. This training course has been provided at both the State and Local levels.

Testimonials

Patrick J. Zirpoli is a highly skilled investigator who thoroughly understands the intricacies of Crime Assessment and has the ability to explain and teach its multipurpose usages throughout the complete range within the criminal continuum. He utilizes these skills to consult with law enforcement agencies on unsolved cases, bringing many to a successful conclusion. That said, I am proud to call him colleague and friend.

In my 15 year career as a Child Abuse Pediatrician I worked with Pat on dozens of child sexual abuse investigations as part of a multidisciplinary team approach at Pegasus Child Advocacy Center. I have observed him to be a skilled investigator with a wealth of experience in this field, who utilizes his expertise to the best advantage for every case in which he becomes involved. Adept in interrogating suspects as well as interviewing young children, Pat understands the dynamics of relationships, power, and betrayal inherent in sexual victimization. Even after many years of investigating sexual abuse and exploitation crimes, a field with high rates of burnout and attrition, Pat remains enthusiastic and is interested in continuing to learn about new advances, as well as to share his knowledge, evidenced by his teaching experience. He is attuned to details and insightful as well and has shown himself to uphold the highest ethical standards.

I am the chief counsel to the Pennsylvania Commission and Crime and Delinquency and in that capacity I served as counsel to the Pennsylvania's Child Protection Task Force. The Task Force was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in December 2011 and charged with the duty to conduct a comprehensive review of the laws and procedures relating to investigation and reporting of child sexual abuse, child abuse, and child neglect. It was composed of leading prosecutors, board certified child abuse pediatricians, child welfare experts and police. Corporal Zirpoli (Retired) was provided to the Task Force by the Pennsylvania State Police as an expert in child sex crimes investigations. The Corporal participated in the internal deliberations of the Task Force throughout the course of one year. His advice was highly regarded and most influential in guiding the conclusions of the Task Force in critical areas regarding multidisciplinary investigative response to these serious crimes. His vast experience in conducting high profile homicide, sex crimes and child abduction investigations in all regions of our Commonwealth also provided us critical information regarding the resources (or lack thereof) which exist throughout our various and diverse counties.

I came to know the Corporal (Retired) when he was assigned by the Pennsylvania State Police to serve as a liaison and advisor to the Task Force on Child Protection. In that capacity Corporal Zirpoli interacted with all of the task force members and participated directly in the deliberations of the task force. In all of his dealings with us, I found Corporal Zirpoli to be knowledgeable, intelligent and thoughtful when discussing the realities of law enforcement's engagement in the investigation and prosecution of physical and sexual abuse of children, particularly in the more rural areas of our Commonwealth. Corporal Zirpoli strong commitment to combating the abuse of children and to seeing the criminal justice system act effectively was apparent throughout his work with us. His knowledge and experience were of great value to the task force in drafting the extensive recommendations which we ultimately submitted, and which are now being considered by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. During my dealings with Corporal Zirpoli in the context described above I came to regard him highly. He is just the sort of police officer I would love to see serving in Bucks County and I have every confidence that he would use his considerable talents unstintingly and effectively in any assignment he was given.

Pat Zirpoli has an incredible way of working with others that creates progress and collaboration on homicide and cold case investigations. His approach is rooted in collaboration and fundamental investigation skills. He will offer all his knowledge and resources to assist law enforcement in resolving cold cases. Over the years I have had the pleasure of watching Pat consult with Law Enforcement, District Attorneys, and Coroners to discover new connections and details that allowed for resolution on cases that have been cold for decades. Pat has a unique skill to ask questions and offer his knowledge and experience in a way that simultaneously provides progress in the case and training for those involved. As a trainer with the Sherry Black Foundation he has been able to captivate the most seasoned of investigators creating growth and opportunity.

As Warden (Former) of the Adams County Adult Correctional Complex., I feel that I know Mr. Zirpoli quite well. He began working with Adams County Adult Correctional Complex several years ago as the contracted Prison Rape Elimination Act Auditor. He has handled this role with professionalism, expertise and understanding. He showed his skills to communicate with both inmates and the staff, and due to his dedication and attention to detail, the facility has gained compliance with the PREA Standards on two occasions. In addition to the work Mr. Zirpoli has provided at the Adams County Adult Correctional Complex, I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with him in my role as the President of the Pennsylvania Prison Warden Association (Former). Mr. Zirpoli, has provided several Prison Rape Elimination Act related trainings across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the association to ensure that members of the correctional industry has the tools necessary to meet and exceed the standards set forth in the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards. Mr. Zirpoli’ s work is not done when he leaves the audit process, he has made himself available to the staff on many occasions when we were in need of technical answers for things we have never seen before. He has always responded in a timely and professional manner and has always followed up to make sure our needs have been met.

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