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The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department cares about your loved one’s safety.
The Prison Rape Elimination Act, otherwise known as PREA, is a federal law which was passed unanimously by the United States Congress and signed into law in 2003 by President George W. Bush. The Act supports the elimination, reduction and prevention of sexual assault and rape in correctional systems across the country. This includes federal, state, county facilities and all other law enforcement detention facilities.
The Law establishes a zero tolerance standard for incidents of sexually abusive behavior committed by staff or other inmates.
It makes prevention of incidents a top priority for the Department. It establishes national standards for detection, prevention, reduction and punishment of prisoner sexual assaults. It also increases available incident data for better correctional management, standardizes definitions used for data collection on incidents and increases accountability of prison officials.
What should you do if you suspect that your loved one is being harassed or pressured for sex?
Immediately contact the facility Superintendent or call the Department hotline at 617–704–6666.
At the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department
We take every report of sexual abuse seriously.
We treat every investigation of sexual abuse by staff or other inmates in a confidential and professional manner.
All SCSD staff members, contract staff and volunteers participate in PREA awareness training.
A Victim Advocate has been designated to better educate inmate victims about their rights.
Casual sex can spread disease in prison. Any sexual contact increases the risk of exposure to a sexually transmitted disease (STD), including AIDS.
The Department will discipline and prosecute the perpetrators of sexual abuse of inmates.
Staff sexual misconduct with inmates is against the law in Massachusetts.
Gender, sexual preference or gender identity is never a factor in determining guilt or innocence during an investigation.
Below is where you can download PREA reports – in PDF format.
(Adobe Acrobat Reader required)
SCSD PREA Policy
| click here |
SCSD PREA Brochure
| click here |
SCSD PREA Audit Report 2021
| click here |
Department PREA Letter
| click here |
Department PREA Data {2020}
| click here |
Department PREA Data {2019}
| click here |
Department PREA Data {2018}
| click here |
Department PREA Data {2017}
| click here |
Department PREA Data {2016}
| click here |
Department PREA Data {2015}
| click here |