Melissa Rodriguez is a senior program associate at Impact Justice working with the National PREA Resource Center (PRC), primarily with the Field Training Program (FTP).
Prior to joining the PRC, Melissa worked in the corrections field for 29 years, starting her career with the Florida Department of Corrections prison system before transitioning to the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department’s county jail system. Melissa has worked with the implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards since 2013. She worked with the Marshall Project to discuss the fight against sexual abuse in local jails and worked to provide technical assistance to agencies throughout the country with implementation efforts of the PREA standards.
Melissa oversaw compliance with PREA standards for adult jails, the American Correctional Association (ACA) standards, as well as state jail standards, local ordinances, and policies and procedures. She also served as the department’s PREA Coordinator where she assisted in gaining compliance with PREA standards, developing PREA related policies and procedures, facilitating PREA training, and spearheading sustainable PREA compliance efforts. Using her passion to educate and train, she mentored employees allowing them to grow in their profession to become future leaders.
Melissa holds a Bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and is pursuing a Master’s Degree in education leadership. She has been a certified PREA Auditor for adult facilities since 2016.