What constitutes sexual harassment according to PREA standards?

• A. One-off friendly comments
• B. Strictly professional conversation about work duties
• C. Non-sexual jokes unrelated to gender
• D. Repeated and unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or derogatory comments by inmates or staff

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that PREA defines sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual conduct or comments that are directed at someone in a correctional setting and that occur repeatedly or create a hostile environment. The description that fits this best involves repeated and unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or derogatory comments by inmates or staff. This captures the essential elements: the conduct is sexual in nature, it is not invited or welcomed, and it is persistent or significant enough to degrade, humiliate, or shame the person or to create an unsafe, hostile environment. In practice, harassment can come from either staff toward inmates, inmates toward staff, or inmate toward inmate, and it includes verbal as well as other types of conduct.

One-off friendly comments, strictly professional discussions about work duties, or non-sexual jokes do not meet the threshold because they lack the sexual nature or the unwelcome persistence that PREA requires.