In 2003, the United States Department of Justice passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act (known as “PREA”), in an effort to eliminate sexual abuse in correctional (‘confinement’) settings. The passing of this Act resulted in the establishment of the National Prison Rape Elimination Committee (NPREC). This committee developed national standards designed to prevent, detect, and respond to prison rape, which was finalized in 2012. Four sets of standards were developed for the following types of confinement settings: (1) adult prisons and jails, (2) juvenile facilities, (3) community corrections facilities, and (4) temporary holding facilities. The Cherokee County Adult Detention Center follows the standards applicable to adult prisons and jails. For correctional facilities to be considered PREA compliant, they are to be audited every three (3) years by Department of Justice Certified Auditors. The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office completed its last PREA audit in 2021 and is scheduled for the next audit in June 2023.
The PREA Coordinator for the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center is Sergeant Michael Turoczy. He can be reached by telephone at 678-493-4168, or by email at [email protected]
Third-party complaints, on behalf of an inmate, can go directly to the PREA Coordinator. Confined inmates may report concerns through the inmate kiosk system located within each housing unit, to the PREA Coordinator, or to our LiveSAFE Resources Hotline toll free number 770-427-3390. All allegations of sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment will be referred for investigation.
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) requires agencies to collect and review data in order to assess and improve the effectiveness of sexual abuse prevention, detection, and response policies, practices, and training. The intention of this report is to identify potential deficiencies in our processes, assess the agency’s progress in addressing sexual abuse, and compare the current year’s data to the past two years.
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) requires agencies to collect and review data in order to assess and improve the effectiveness of sexual abuse prevention, detection, and response policies, practices, and training. The intention of this report is to identify potential deficiencies in our processes, assess the agency's progress in addressing sexual abuse, and compare the current year's data to the past two years.
Please click to download the PREA reports below:
PREA Reporting Response and Investigation Policy of the Cherokee Sheriff's Office