Prison Rape Elimination Act

The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 was enacted by Congress to address the problem of sexual abuse of persons in the custody of U.S. correctional agencies. The Act applies to all public and private institutions that house adult or juvenile offenders and is also relevant to community-based agencies. It addresses both AIC-on-AIC sexual abuse and staff sexual misconduct.

Filing a Report

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office has zero tolerance toward all forms of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. The agency will not tolerate retaliation against any person who reports sexual abuse or sexual harassment or who cooperates with a sexual abuse or sexual harassment investigation.

If you were the victim of a sexual assault while in the custody of any law enforcement agency or correctional facility, or if you know of an incident of sexual assault of a person in the custody of any law enforcement agency or correctional facility, you may report the incident by completing the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Incident Reporting Form.

Anonymous Reports

Anonymous reports will be accepted and investigated, however, the Sheriff's Office may be limited in its options in investigating and/or resolving anonymous reports because of the unique challenges they present. There is no way to assess the author's accuracy and no ability to obtain additional information from the complainant if the complaint is unclear or confusing. Anonymous reports will be investigated to the best of our ability given the anonymous nature of the complaint.

Filing Reports Without Douglas County Sheriff's Office

If you wish to make a report without contacting the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, you may contact any law enforcement agency in Oregon. You may also contact the Oregon Inspector General at 877-678-4222.