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Movie-watchers will be aware of some of the cliches about the dangers of becoming part of a jail or prison population, but the reality can be even more disturbing.
Here in Washington County, officials take seriously their responsibility to prevent such horrors. To that end, the Washington County Sheriff's Office Jail Division announced last week it has passed its Prison Rape Elimination Act audit.
PREA-certified contractors inspected the facility and its processes and interviewed 20 inmates and 18 staff members. They found the jail met expectations and exceeded standards for hiring and promotion decisions.
The act was meant to provide for analysis of the occurrence rate and effects of prison rape in federal, state and local institutions and provide information, resources, recommendations and funding to protect individuals from prison rape.
According to Washington County Jail Administrator Maj. Kevin Carr, Washington County's is the only county jail in Southeast Ohio that is PREA certified.
"We are responsible to ensure our inmate population serves their time safely and without incident. I am very pleased with the professionalism of our staff in maintaining these standards," Carr said.
He should be. Residents, too, should be proud to know our local officials were driven to meet such a goal. Well done, folks.