In August, the Sheriff’s Office and the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center attained our official certification of compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act, commonly known as PREA. PREA is a federal law enacted in 2003 to protect inmates from sexual assault by other inmates and by staff.

To obtain PREA certification, detention facilities must pass an extensive policy review and an on-site audit. In June, a PREA auditor conducted a three-day assessment of the Adult Detention Center, interviewing inmates and command and line staff, reviewing procedures, and evaluating compliance. The auditor then completed a 140-page report which was finalized and shared with ASO in August.

In her report, the auditor found ASO and the Detention Center to be in full compliance with all required 45 standards and exceeding requirements in nine of those standards, including ones pertaining to inmates with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency. She also observed that the “facility was exceptionally clean, orderly, and organized in all areas visited” and that “staff at all levels are highly engaged in their duties, take ownership of their jobs, and provide a safe and secure environment at the facility.”

While the Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center have long held multiple professional accreditations and had implemented many protections for inmates, this is the first time that ASO pursued PREA certification. When Sheriff Sean Casey took office in 2022, he made attaining formal PREA certification a priority. For several years inmates had been receiving resources and information about their rights under PREA and staff had completed PREA training, but the Office did not undergo an official PREA audit until this summer.

“Earning our formal PREA certification was important to reaffirm to the public and those in our custody our commitment to PREA and a standard of zero tolerance of sexual assault, abuse or harassment,” noted Sheriff Casey. “I’m proud of our team’s efforts to attain this certification and I’m confident of each individual employee’s commitment to maintaining sexual safety in the Detention Center. Those entrusted to our care deserve nothing less.”