The Standards Committee continually revises the standards based on changing practices, current case law and agency experiences. Those standards approved by the committee reflect the views of correctional practitioners, architects, medical and legal experts.

The committee is comprised of 20 members: 12 are appointed by the president of the Association and eight are appointed by the chairperson of the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections. The committee meets twice annually in conjunction with ACA's conferences to consider proposals for standards revisions, new standards and draft manuals. Proposals may be submitted for consideration through this link, Proposed Standards Revisions, or by contacting the Standards and Accreditation Department at 1-800-ACA-JOIN, ext. 0080. Deadlines for submitting proposals are approximately 75 days prior to each conference.