|| Georgia Department of Corrections || - Prison Rape Elimination Act

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) 2003 prohibits and seeks to eliminate sexual assaults and sexual misconduct in correctional institutions.
Pursuant to the PREA and Georgia criminal laws, the Georgia Department of Corrections is committed to protecting offenders in its custody from sexual contact or sexual misconduct.

The Department has zero tolerance for sexual contact or sexual misconduct.
Offenders who have nonconsensual sexual contact with another offender will be strongly disciplined and referred for criminal prosecution.
Employees who engage in sexual contact or sexual misconduct with offenders will be terminated from employment and referred for criminal prosecution when applicable.

All employees will receive training about the federal law, state law, and departmental policy governing sexual contact with offenders.
All employees will receive annual training concerning their duty to report rumors or allegations of sexual assault or sexual misconduct, to whom they should report, how they should report, and when they should report such incidents.
All employees will receive training about how to detect an unreported incident of sexual assault.
Vendors, contractors, volunteers, and visitors authorized to have contact with offenders must read the Department’s zero-tolerance policy statement and sign to indicate agreement to abide by its terms.

Offenders will receive written notice and training on how to avoid becoming a target for sexual assault.
Offenders will receive notice in the Offender Handbook that sexual contact is strictly prohibited and punishable by disciplinary action and criminal prosecution.
Offenders will receive training on what to do if they have become a victim of sexual assault, including the various reporting methods and how to preserve physical evidence.
The Department will implement a toll-free 800 number to allow offenders to report incidents of sexual assault or sexual misconduct without fear of reprisal.

Employees have a duty to report all rumors and allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct through the chain of command
Local Sexual Assault Response Teams (S.A.R.T.) will ensure alleged victims of sexual assault receive immediate medical attention.
The local S.A.R.T. will also ensure alleged victims of sexual assault or sexual misconduct receive a mental health evaluation.
All allegations of sexual assault will be reported to Internal Investigations for investigation.

The Department is dedicated to producing quality investigations of alleged sexual assaults and sexual misconduct incidents.
All investigators will receive specialized training specific to sexual assaults in correctional institutions.
Internal Investigations, in consultation with the Department’s Legal Office, will aggressively refer substantiated cases of sexual assault by offenders or employees to the local district attorney’s office for criminal prosecution and will cooperate in whatever manner necessary to ensure such cases are prosecuted.

The GDC is committed to providing safe environments for offenders in its custody.
All offenders will receive a comprehensive evaluation during initial intake to identify risk factors associated with sexual assault.
Classification of victims or perpetrators of sexual assault or sexual misconduct will be closely monitored and all movements will be coordinated across departments to prevent repeated incidents.

The Department has dedicated a full-time position as a PREA Coordinator to, among other things, serve as the agency’s point of contact regarding all PREA related matters, provide consultation and guidance to facilities’ staff with respect to PREA implementation and monitoring, as well as provide oversight of PREA training to staff.
The PREA Coordinator will analyze reported data and keep prison officials briefed on developing trends, lessons learned, and best practices for detection and prevention of sexual assault and sexual misconduct incidents.

Georgia Department
of Corrections