
JAIL BUREAU · PREA
PREA Facility Audit Report 2026
Final audit report for the Fairfield County Jail under the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards.
45
Standards met
0
Standards exceeded
0
Standards not met
09/20/2026
Final report submitted
Audit Information
| Facility | Fairfield County Jail |
|---|---|
| Facility type | Prison / Jail |
| Address | 345 Lincoln Avenue, Lancaster, Ohio 43130 |
| Agency | Fairfield County Sheriff's Office |
| Auditor | Kayleen Murray |
| On-site audit | February 9–11, 2026 |
| Interim report submitted | 03/29/2026 |
| Final report submitted | 09/20/2026 |
| Community organizations contacted | Fairfield Medical Center (SANE services); Family Health Services of East Central Ohio (rape crisis advocate services) |
Facility Characteristics
| Designed facility capacity | 384 |
|---|---|
| Current population | 263 |
| Average daily population (past 12 months) | 261 |
| Over capacity in past 12 months | No |
| Housing units | 20 |
| Population designation | Both women and men |
| Security / custody levels | Minimum, Medium, Max |
| Holds youthful inmates | No |
| Staff who may have contact with inmates | 56 |
| Contractors with inmate contact | 10 |
| Volunteers with inmate contact | 22 |
Population on Day One of the On-Site Audit
| Total inmates | 258 |
|---|---|
| Youthful inmates | 0 |
| Inmates with a physical disability | 4 |
| Inmates with a cognitive or functional disability | 5 |
| Inmates who are blind or have low vision | 0 |
| Inmates who are deaf or hard of hearing | 1 |
| Inmates who are Limited English Proficient | 3 |
| Inmates who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual | 2 |
| Inmates who identify as transgender or intersex | 0 |
| Inmates who reported sexual abuse in the facility | 0 |
| Inmates who disclosed prior sexual victimization at screening | 5 |
| Inmates placed in segregated housing for risk of sexual victimization | 0 |
| Staff (full- and part-time) | 53 |
| Volunteers | 22 |
| Contractors | 10 |
Interviews Conducted
| Random inmates | 20 |
|---|---|
| Targeted inmates | 6 |
| Random staff | 10 |
| Specialized staff | 7 |
Allegations and Investigations (12 Months Preceding the Audit)
| Incident type | Allegations | Criminal investigations | Administrative investigations | Both |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inmate-on-inmate | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Staff-on-inmate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Incident type | Allegations | Criminal investigations | Administrative investigations | Both |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inmate-on-inmate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Staff-on-inmate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Incident type | Ongoing | Unfounded | Unsubstantiated | Substantiated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inmate-on-inmate | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Staff-on-inmate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Incident type | Ongoing | Unfounded | Unsubstantiated | Substantiated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inmate-on-inmate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Staff-on-inmate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
There were no criminal sexual abuse or sexual harassment investigations during the 12 months preceding the audit.
Standards Compliance
| Standard | Title | Determination |
|---|---|---|
| 115.11 | Zero tolerance of sexual abuse and sexual harassment; PREA coordinator | Meets Standard |
| 115.12 | Contracting with other entities for the confinement of inmates | Meets Standard |
| 115.13 | Supervision and monitoring | Meets Standard |
| 115.14 | Youthful inmates | Meets Standard |
| 115.15 | Limits to cross-gender viewing and searches | Meets Standard |
| 115.16 | Inmates with disabilities and inmates who are limited English proficient | Meets Standard |
| 115.17 | Hiring and promotion decisions | Meets Standard |
| 115.18 | Upgrades to facilities and technologies | Meets Standard |
| 115.21 | Evidence protocol and forensic medical examinations | Meets Standard |
| 115.22 | Policies to ensure referrals of allegations for investigations | Meets Standard |
| 115.31 | Employee training | Meets Standard |
| 115.32 | Volunteer and contractor training | Meets Standard |
| 115.33 | Inmate education | Meets Standard |
| 115.34 | Specialized training: Investigations | Meets Standard |
| 115.35 | Specialized training: Medical and mental health care | Meets Standard |
| 115.41 | Screening for risk of victimization and abusiveness | Meets Standard |
| 115.42 | Use of screening information | Meets Standard |
| 115.43 | Protective custody | Meets Standard |
| 115.51 | Inmate reporting | Meets Standard |
| 115.52 | Exhaustion of administrative remedies | Meets Standard |
| 115.53 | Inmate access to outside confidential support services | Meets Standard |
| 115.54 | Third-party reporting | Meets Standard |
| 115.61 | Staff and agency reporting duties | Meets Standard |
| 115.62 | Agency protection duties | Meets Standard |
| 115.63 | Reporting to other confinement facilities | Meets Standard |
| 115.64 | Staff first responder duties | Meets Standard |
| 115.65 | Coordinated response | Meets Standard |
| 115.66 | Preservation of ability to protect inmates from contact with abusers | Meets Standard |
| 115.67 | Agency protection against retaliation | Meets Standard |
| 115.68 | Post-allegation protective custody | Meets Standard |
| 115.71 | Criminal and administrative agency investigations | Meets Standard |
| 115.72 | Evidentiary standard for administrative investigations | Meets Standard |
| 115.73 | Reporting to inmates | Meets Standard |
| 115.76 | Disciplinary sanctions for staff | Meets Standard |
| 115.77 | Corrective action for contractors and volunteers | Meets Standard |
| 115.78 | Disciplinary sanctions for inmates | Meets Standard |
| 115.81 | Medical and mental health screenings; history of sexual abuse | Meets Standard |
| 115.82 | Access to emergency medical and mental health services | Meets Standard |
| 115.83 | Ongoing medical and mental health care for sexual abuse victims and abusers | Meets Standard |
| 115.86 | Sexual abuse incident reviews | Meets Standard |
| 115.87 | Data collection | Meets Standard |
| 115.88 | Data review for corrective action | Meets Standard |
| 115.89 | Data storage, publication, and destruction | Meets Standard |
| 115.401 | Frequency and scope of audits | Meets Standard |
| 115.403 | Audit contents and findings | Meets Standard |
Contacts
| Role | Name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Agency Chief Executive Officer | Sheriff Alex Lape | 740-652-7254 |
| Agency-Wide PREA Coordinator | Sgt. Shawn Neal | 740-652-1546 shawn.neal@fairfieldcountyohio.gov |
| Jail Administrator | Lt. Jeff Reed II | 740-652-7256 |
Need a printable copy? Download the full audit report (PDF)