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Policy Synthesis

Staff Conduct and Professional Standards

Synthesized from 30 SOPs  ·  12 directly cited  ·  updated May 2, 2026

Georgia Department of Corrections policy establishes comprehensive standards governing how staff must conduct themselves, what relationships with offenders are prohibited, how misconduct must be reported and investigated, and what disciplinary consequences follow violations. The core framework is set out in SOP 104.47 (Employee Standards of Conduct), which explicitly holds GDC employees to "higher standards of conduct than normally found in the general community" because of the Department's security mission. Multiple overlapping SOPs — spanning human resources, PREA compliance, use-of-force, and health services — create a layered system of obligations and accountability mechanisms.

Overview and Foundational Standard

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) holds all employees to an elevated behavioral standard. SOP 104.47 (Employee Standards of Conduct, effective 01/17/2024) states plainly: "Employees of the Georgia Department of Corrections are required to adhere to higher standards of conduct than normally found in the general community due to the important security mission of the Department and its inherent responsibility to provide an appropriate model of public safety to the citizens of Georgia."

Every current and new employee must annually read and sign two acknowledgement forms: (1) the Employee Standards of Conduct and Governor's Code of Ethics Acknowledgement Statement, and (2) the Employee Communications Device Acknowledgement and Agreement Statement. Appointing Authorities are responsible for ensuring this annual sign-off occurs. SOP 104.47 cross-references the Governor's Executive Order of 01-14-19 establishing the Code of Ethics for Executive Branch Officers and Employees as binding on all GDC staff.

Prohibited Conduct: General Work Rules

SOP 104.47 is the primary policy enumerating prohibited conduct. It defines several key terms relevant to disciplinary exposure:

  • Close Personal Relationship — includes any familial relationship (spouse, parent, child, grandparent, sibling, niece/nephew, aunt/uncle, guardian/ward, and those related by marriage in the same classes), as well as "any relationship that involves cohabitation, dating, or consensual sexual contact of any kind."
  • Communications Device — defined as any mobile or cellular phone, smart phone, electronic reader, or device that allows transfer of information.

SOP 104.47 is cross-referenced by SOP 507.03.02 (Professional Conduct), which applies specifically to health care personnel and requires that they "act in accordance with the highest standards of professional conduct" and "function in accordance with their licensure/certification." SOP 507.03.02 also specifies that the "primary role of Health Care Personnel is to provide offender health care" — not a security role — and restricts off-site transport of offenders to medical necessities only.

Prohibited Relationships and Contact with Offenders

SOP 205.02 (Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders) is cited as a related directive within SOP 104.47, governing the specific boundary rules around staff-offender interactions. While the full text of SOP 205.02 is not included in the corpus reviewed here, its existence as a standalone policy — cross-referenced in the core conduct SOP — signals that GDC treats this as a discrete and significant obligation.

Sexual contact between staff and offenders is addressed most extensively in the PREA framework. SOP 208.06 (Prison Rape Elimination Act — Sexually Abusive Behavior Prevention and Intervention Program, effective 06/23/2022) establishes a "zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of Sexual Abuse, Sexual Harassment, and sexual activity among offenders" and explicitly covers "Staff perpetrator against offender victim" scenarios. SOP 208.06 is originating from the Executive Division (Office of Professional Standards), signaling that it carries the Commissioner's direct authority.

SOP 508.22 (Mental Health Management of Suspected Sexual Abuse or Sexual Harassment) defines the prohibited conduct categories in precise terms:

  • Sexual Misconduct — "Any behavior by staff related to a sexual act with an offender, except sexual assault," including exposure of intimate body parts, threats or requests for sexual acts, demeaning references to intimate body parts or sexual orientation, and acts that aid sexual contact between an offender and a third person. Notably: "Sexual contact with an offender is not necessary to find that a staff member has violated this provision."
  • Sexual Harassment — "Deliberate or repeated statements or comments of a sexual nature directed to any offender, including demeaning references to gender and/or gender identity or derogatory comments about body or clothing, or repeated profane or obscene language or gestures."
  • Sexual Abuse — Subjecting another person to sexual contact by persuasion, inducement, enticement, or forcible compulsion, or "subjecting to sexual contact another person who is incapable of giving consent due to their custodial status."

These definitions appear in both SOP 508.22 and SOP 208.06, giving advocates and attorneys redundant citation options. The same definitions are also incorporated by reference in SOP 227.02 (Statewide Grievance Procedure), which routes Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment complaints through the grievance system by reference to SOP 208.06.

Prohibited Conduct in Boot Camp Settings

SOP 210.01 (Inmate/Probation Boot Camp — General Policy) contains explicit prohibitions that apply specifically in boot camp facilities, where staff are authorized to use an "intense, confrontational style" of communication. Even within that context, the following are absolutely prohibited:

1. "There shall be no physical abuse of any inmate/probationer."

2. "No cursing or derogatory terms will be used."

3. "Inmates/probationers will not be assigned humiliating or pointless job assignments or tasks."

4. "Verbal harassment and interrogation as punishment is prohibited."

5. Staff may only lay hands on an offender to correct drill position or clothing, conduct inspections, give authorized training demonstrations, attend to injury, or apply restraints.

These prohibitions in SOP 210.01 mirror the broader anti-corporal-punishment rule in SOP 209.01 (Offender Discipline), which states: "Prison, TC, PDC, RSAT, and ITF staff may not impose (or allow to be imposed) any type of corporal punishment," and that "disciplinary action shall not be used to abuse an offender, as a means for injury or to harass an offender."

Use of Force Limitations as a Conduct Standard

SOP 209.04 (Use of Force and Restraint for Offender Control) functions as a conduct standard by specifying what staff may and may not do in coercive situations. The policy states: "Force, security equipment, and restraint equipment are intended to be used only as control measures when necessary. They are not intended and shall never be used as a means of punishment." Authorization for force rests with the Warden, Superintendent, Deputy Warden, Assistant Superintendent, Chief Correctional Supervisor, or Administrative Duty Officer. When force is used without prior authorization (in a genuine emergency), the employee "shall be required to justify use-of-force without prior authorization."

SOP 209.04 requires immediate notification to the Warden/Superintendent "when any type of force is used" and a written report "no later than the conclusion of that shift." This reporting obligation is itself a conduct requirement — failure to report constitutes a separate policy violation.

Reporting Obligations

Multiple SOPs impose affirmative reporting obligations on staff who witness or learn of misconduct:

SOP 208.06 requires staff to detect, document, report, and respond to sexual abuse and harassment, and establishes the PREA Coordinator and PREA Compliance Manager as institutional oversight roles.

SOP 508.22 establishes a "must tell" confidentiality policy for mental health staff: sexual abuse disclosures made to mental health professionals are not held in confidence and must be reported. Mental health staff must conduct a clinical evaluation of alleged victims within one business day and must maintain separation from investigative processes.

SOP 203.03 (Incident Reporting) classifies "allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment concerning Offenders and staff" as Major Incidents, requiring immediate notification up the chain: facility staff → Regional Director → Director of Field Operations → GDC Communications Center in Forsyth → Division Director, Office of Communications, Office of Professional Standards, and Director of Special Operations.

SOP 209.04 requires a written use-of-force report by the end of the shift in which force was used.

SOP 223.03 (Property/Cash Found by Staff or Offenders) requires staff who find property or cash to complete an Incident Report Form and forward the item to the Warden/Superintendent — found items "shall not become the property of the staff."

Disciplinary Process for Staff

Suspension with Pay (SOP 104.27): The Appointing Authority may suspend an employee with pay for: investigation of alleged misconduct when the employee cannot be reassigned; during a notice period for proposed adverse action; pending lab results after a positive drug test; during criminal charges or indictment of a classified employee (mandatory for classified employees); or for alleged unfitness to perform duties. Suspensions should not exceed 30 calendar days, and extensions require written justification to the Director of Human Resources. Notably, "there is no review process for a suspension with pay." Suspensions may be made effective immediately upon written notice in person or by certified mail.

Adverse Actions: SOP 104.47 cross-references SOP 104.64 (Adverse Actions — Classified Employees) and SOP 104.65 (Adverse Actions — Unclassified Employees) as the mechanisms for formal disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. The full text of those SOPs is not included in the corpus reviewed here.

PREA-Specific Discipline: SOP 208.06 requires that staff perpetrators of sexual abuse be disciplined or prosecuted. The policy is explicit that zero-tolerance means both administrative and potential criminal consequences.

Professional Standards Specific to Health Care Staff

SOP 507.03.02 (Professional Conduct) imposes additional obligations on health care workers: uniforms or appropriate attire must be worn; all staff including physicians and dentists must be identified by nametags or badges while on duty; healthcare personnel who witness infractions "may be called as witnesses in a prosecution of a criminal or civil case"; and witness statements for disciplinary reports must be submitted to the Responsible Healthcare Authority before being sent to GDC.

SOP 507.01.11 (Standards and Accreditation) requires all state and private prisons to be accredited by both the Medical Association of Georgia (for NCCHC compliance) and the American Correctional Association (ACA). This accreditation requirement functions as an external check on professional standards across the institution.

Identification and Police Powers

SOP 104.55 (Issuance of Police Powers Identification Cards) establishes that only P.O.S.T.-certified employees in the Office of Professional Standards, or those specifically approved in writing by the Commissioner, may hold Police Powers Identification Cards. Employees who lose P.O.S.T. certification, resign, retire, or are dismissed must "immediately surrender" the card to CHRM, which destroys it. An employee transferred to a non-approved job must also surrender the card unless the Commissioner provides written authorization to retain it. Loss or theft of the card must be reported immediately to both the Director of OPS and the Department Human Resources Director, and to local law enforcement.

Key Institutional Oversight Role: Office of Professional Standards

The Office of Professional Standards (OPS) appears throughout the SOP corpus as the central investigative and enforcement body for staff misconduct. SOP 203.03 requires the GDC Communications Center to notify OPS of all Major Incidents. SOP 206.02 designates OPS as the keeper of the Evidence Locker, with exclusive key control. SOP 558 (223.03) allows referral of found property to OPS for final disposition. SOP 507.03.16 (Health Services Vendor Communications) identifies investigation information gathered by OPS as "Confidential State Secrets." SOP 104.55 routes Police Powers ID Card matters through the Director of OPS.

Retaliation Protection

SOP 227.02 (Statewide Grievance Procedure) prohibits retaliation against offenders who file grievances, including complaints about staff sexual abuse or harassment. This policy provides a procedural avenue for offenders to report staff misconduct without fear of institutional reprisal, though the policy does not address retaliation against staff witnesses or whistleblowers in the same document.

Key Findings

  • SOP 104.47 explicitly requires all GDC employees to meet 'higher standards of conduct than normally found in the general community' and mandates annual signed acknowledgement of the Standards of Conduct and the Governor's Code of Ethics.
  • SOP 508.22 defines Sexual Misconduct to include staff conduct that 'aids in sexual contact between an offender and third person' and states that 'sexual contact with an offender is not necessary to find that a staff member has violated this provision.'
  • SOP 208.06 establishes GDC's zero-tolerance policy on all forms of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual activity, covering both offender-on-offender and staff-on-offender scenarios, and requires both disciplinary and potential criminal consequences for perpetrators.
  • SOP 104.27 authorizes the Appointing Authority to suspend an employee with pay immediately upon written notice for investigation of alleged misconduct, and expressly states that 'there is no review process for a suspension with pay,' with suspensions not to exceed 30 calendar days without Director of Human Resources approval.
  • SOP 203.03 classifies allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment involving offenders and staff as Major Incidents, triggering immediate notification to the Regional Director, GDC Communications Center, Office of Professional Standards, and Division Director.
  • SOP 209.04 prohibits use of force as punishment in any form and requires a written report by the end of the shift in which any force is used, placing a reporting obligation on staff as an element of the conduct standard itself.
  • SOP 210.01 prohibits physical abuse, cursing, derogatory terms, verbal harassment as punishment, and humiliating task assignments in boot camp settings, even while authorizing an 'intense, confrontational style' of communication.
  • SOP 508.22 imposes a 'must tell' confidentiality policy on mental health staff, meaning that disclosures of sexual abuse made to mental health professionals must be reported and are not protected by therapeutic confidentiality.
  • SOP 104.55 requires employees who are dismissed, retire, resign, or lose P.O.S.T. certification to immediately surrender their Police Powers Identification Card, with CHRM destroying it; a lost or stolen card must be reported to both OPS and local law enforcement.
  • SOP 507.03.02 requires all health care personnel to be identified by nametags or badges while on duty and prohibits them from transporting offenders off-site except when medically necessary, with EMS as the preferred option for emergent transport.

Gaps & Conflicts

Where SOPs contradict each other, leave standards ambiguous, or fail to address something the broader policy framework would suggest they should.

  • SOP 104.47 cross-references SOP 205.02 (Contact or Business Dealings with Offenders) as governing staff-offender relationship prohibitions, but SOP 205.02 is not included in the reviewed corpus, leaving the specific prohibited-contact rules unverifiable from this document set alone.
  • SOP 104.47 cross-references SOP 104.64 (Adverse Actions — Classified Employees) and SOP 104.65 (Adverse Actions — Unclassified Employees) as the formal disciplinary mechanisms, but neither SOP is included in the reviewed corpus, so the full range of available sanctions and procedural protections for employees facing discipline is not visible here.
  • SOP 227.02 prohibits retaliation against offenders who file grievances about staff misconduct, but the reviewed SOP corpus contains no policy explicitly protecting staff whistleblowers or witnesses who report colleague misconduct from retaliation, leaving that protection unaddressed in accessible policy.
  • SOP 104.27 states suspensions with pay 'should not exceed thirty (30) calendar days,' but this is precatory ('should'), not mandatory ('shall'), creating ambiguity about whether extended paid suspensions during slow investigations are a policy violation or a permissible deviation.
  • The definitions of Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Harassment, and Sexual Abuse appear in both SOP 508.22 (Health Services Division) and SOP 208.06 (Office of Professional Standards), but are not identically worded across all documents, potentially creating minor interpretive inconsistencies when applied by different divisions.
  • SOP 209.04 authorizes use of force without prior approval in genuine emergencies and then requires after-the-fact justification, but the SOP corpus does not specify what standard of review applies to that justification or who makes the determination of adequacy, leaving the accountability mechanism unclear.
  • SOP 210.01 (Boot Camp) prohibits 'cursing or derogatory terms' absolutely, while SOP 104.47 (general standards) and SOP 508.22 define 'Sexual Harassment' to include 'repeated profane or obscene language,' creating an apparent difference in threshold — Boot Camp applies a zero-occurrence standard while the general harassment definition requires repetition.

SOPs Cited in This Page

SOP 508.22: Mental Health Management of Suspected Sexual Abuse or Sexual Harassment Health Services Division
SOP 104.55: Issuance of Police Powers Identification Cards Administration & Finance (Human Resources)
SOP 208.06: Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Sexually Abusive Behavior Prevention and Intervention Program Executive Division (Office of Professional Standards)
SOP 104.27: Suspension with Pay Administrative & Finance
SOP 210.01: Inmate/Probation Boot Camp - General Policy Facilities Division
SOP 223.03: Property/Cash Found by Staff or Offenders Facilities Division
SOP 203.03: Incident Reporting Facilities Division
SOP 507.03.02: Professional Conduct Health Services Division (Physical Health)
SOP 104.47: Employee Standards of Conduct Administrative & Finance (Human Resources)
SOP 209.01: Offender Discipline Facilities Division
SOP 209.04: Use of Force and Restraint for Offender Control Facilities
SOP 227.02: Statewide Grievance Procedure Facilities Division
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