Full Notification

To save taxpayers money, fight discrimination and increase jail safety, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office has put into place a uniquely comprehensive set of policies on sexual orientation and gender orientation issues in the workplace and with interactions with the public and with inmates.

The new policies, which went into effect Wednesday, Nov. 13, in part are a response to looming deadlines for compliance with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act signed into law by President George W. Bush.

“Even if my staff and I were hesitant to lead the way for jails across the country and slow to comply with the concept of equal rights under the law, there would still be changes we have to make under new government regulations designed to protect inmates from sexual assault and sexual harassment. We would have to adjust policies and practices to defend the county and its taxpayers from being dragged into court for not obeying the law,” Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia said. “But at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, we try to stay ahead of the curve, we respect the public’s rights, we embrace innovation and best practices, looking for chances to lead to be a model 21st Century law enforcement agency.”

“This has been proven over and over, for example by the introduction of our iWatchHarrisCounty smart phone app that stops crime dead in its tracks and the recent recognition of deputies who work in the mental health unit of the jail as the National Commission on Correctional Health Care’s ‘program of the year’.”

The policies add “sexual orientation” and “gender orientation” to the common sense list of characteristics on which discrimination by any employee of the Sheriff’s Office is banned. The policies address the fact that the jail population usually includes lesbians, gays and bi-sexual, transgender and inter-sex inmates – together called LGBTI.

Sheriff’s Office employees, volunteers and contractors will undergo training on updated zero tolerance rules on sexual abuse, sexual harassment and any failure to report sexual abuse, harassment or improper contact between inmates, between staff and inmates and among employees.

Also, when staff decide whether to house an inmate with men or women, several factors will be considered, including his or her gender identity and not solely anatomy. Staff will address inmates by their chosen name or merely their last name. Staff will follow common sense rules about whether an inmate should be searched by a male or female staffer.

The Sheriff’s Office will continue to work with outside local agencies and advocates to make sure the policies work correctly. Starting in July 2012, staffers contacted at least 20 law enforcement agencies across the nation and adapted some of their “best practices” on these issues.

“Make no mistake about it: None of this will alter our prime missions as the police force for 1.6 million people in the unincorporated areas of the county and as administrators of the nation’s third largest jail, with 9,000 inmates on any given day,” Sheriff Garcia said. “The inmates who need to be inside to prevent harm to the public will be kept safely and securely inside as always. Harris County courts will continue to mete out tough justice.

“Even our new ‘LGBTI’ policy is a rigorous one. But being tough only works the right way when it is accompanied by values such as safety, fairness and dignity.”