Prison Rape Elimination Act

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was enacted by the 108th Congress to establish a zero tolerance standard for the incidence of sexual assault in correctional facilities. PREA establishes national standards for the detection, prevention, reduction and punishment of sexual assault in correctional settings and applies to all federal, state and local prisons, jails, police lock-ups, private facilities and community settings such as a residential facilities.

The Anne Arundel County Department of Detention Facilities (AACDDF) has a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual assault/rape and sexual harassment of inmates, offenders, detainees as crime victims. The Department will immediately respond to any and all allegations, provide a full investigation along with pursue disciplinary action with referral for prosecution to those who perpetrate in such acts.

The AACDDF employees, contractors, volunteers and inmates are trained in the appropriate steps to take if an inmate/offender/detainee reports an incident of sexual assault. Inmate/Offender/Detainees who are victims of sexual assault may report the incident to any employee, volunteer or contractor. All alleged acts of sexual assault will be investigated to the fullest extent.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department will investigate any allegations of sexual misconduct involving staff or inmates at the Jennifer Road Detention Center (JRDC) and Ordnance Road Correctional Facility (ORCC). Medical Attention and counseling will also be made available to the victim(s).

Anyone who is housed within our facilities should report any incident of sexual abuse to a staff member immediately. A hotline is available to assist for those who wish to report incidents of sexual abuse. Those who are housed in our facility can press “0” from the phones located on their housing units. This hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The hotline is monitored by the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

Members of the public may report incidents of sexual abuse to an AACDDF staff member or may call the Sergeants at either facility; JRDC (410) 222-7094, ORCC (410) 222-4970.

During the reporting period of October 2020 - March 2021, the AACDDF investigated seven (7) PREA incidents; each investigation ended with an “unsubstantiated” result.

For additional information, please contact the PREA Coordinator, Mindy Ellison, (410) 222-6377.