The Lane County Sheriff’s Office mandates a zero tolerance for any incidence of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault of any Adult In Custody (AIC) of the sheriff. All staff, volunteers, contractors and AIC's must abide by this and related policies, laws, and standards that help prevent, detect, reduce, and punish AIC sexual assault.

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was signed into law September 2003 by President George W. Bush.  Its main purpose is to protect the Eighth Amendment rights of Federal, State and local prisoners. PREA makes the prevention of sexual assault of incarcerated persons a top priority with national standards for the detection, prevention, reduction and punishment of sexual misconduct and sexual assaults in prisons and jails. It also increases accountability for administrators who fail to prevent, reduce and punish such misconduct.

Any sexual and/or romantic activity between staff and AIC's is prohibited and against the law. Sexual activity between AIC's is also prohibited by LCSO Policy and Procedure, AIC rules and may also be a crime.

There is no such thing as consensual sex in custody.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office will aggressively respond to and investigate any and all allegations of rape and/or sexual misconduct. The Sheriff’s Office supports the prosecution of sexual misconduct and sexual assaults, in partnership with law enforcement and county prosecutors. Sheriff’s Office staff are required to report and respond to incidents of rape, sexual abuse or sexual misconduct.

AIC's are encouraged to speak with deputies, medical staff, mental health professionals, attorneys, program volunteers, family members, friends, or anyone who can assist them in putting a stop to any and all sexual misconduct or abuse. They can also write letters, leave notes, utilize the AIC request form, medical request form, leave phone messages on the PREA Hotline or file a grievance.

If you were sexually abused while in custody or know of someone that was sexually abused while in custody, you should report it immediately. Although reporting can be difficult to do, it will keep you and others safe from more harm. All information is confidential and will be subject to verification by investigators. Falsely reporting a sexual crime is itself a crime. If a false report is submitted by an AIC is a jail rule violation and the AIC will held accountable through misconduct proceedings.