An employee at Cochise County Jail in Bisbee has been arrested on several charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of an inmate at the correctional facility. The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office arrested 63-year-old Doug Packer on Saturday, January 5 after investigating the allegations of sexual abuse.
Packer has been charged with sexual abuse, sexual assault, and unlawful sexual conduct in a correctional facility. Authorities say that staff with the CCSO was notified on Friday that an inmate had made sexual abuse allegations against Packer, claiming that an incident had taken place at the jail. Packer was arrested and booked at Cochise County Jail following a police investigation.
The investigation into these allegations is still ongoing. Anyone with related information has been encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office at 520-432-9500.
Attorney contributor Kevin Biniazin represents survivors of sexual violence, helping them find justice and support in civil lawsuits. Here are some thoughts from Kevin regarding the legal options available to inmates who have been sexually assaulted in correctional facilities:
Cases of sexual abuse often involve abusers who are in positions of trust or authority over their victims. This is regularly seen in cases involving teachers, coaches, religious leaders, correctional facility employees, and other authority figures. While inmates may temporarily lose some freedoms while incarcerated, they are still protected by the same laws as the rest of us when it comes to sexual violence. These victims deserve justice for the trauma they’ve suffered and the jail employees who commit these terrible crimes must be held accountable.
The criminal justice system is responsible for prosecuting the perpetrator, but the civil court system can also provide justice by directly helping victims. In many cases, victims of correctional facility sexual abuse may have grounds for a lawsuit against the operator of the facility. If you or a loved one has been sexually abused by a correctional facility employee, you can learn more about your legal options by discussing your case with an experienced sexual abuse attorney.