What is Accreditation?
Accreditation is a system of verification in which correctional agencies/facilities comply with national standards promulgated by the American Correctional Association. This verification is achieved through a series of reviews, evaluations, audits and hearings.
A recent survey of accredited facilities indicates that they felt the advantages and benefits of accreditation were numerous and include 1) the assessment of a facility's strengths and weaknesses, 2) the identification of obtainable goals, 3) the implementation of state-of-the-art policies and procedures, 4) the establishment of specific guidelines for daily operations, 5) aid in the defense of frivolous lawsuits, 6) an increase of community support, and 7) a higher level of staff professionalism and morale.
To be eligible for accreditation, a correctional agency must hold at least one of the following:
- Pretrial or presentenced adult or juveniles;
- Convicted adults or juveniles adjudicated delinquent; and/or
- Adult or juvenile offenders sentenced to community supervision.
The benefits of accreditation are many, but the three most frequently cited reasons are: 1) to ensure that the operation is in compliance with national standards, 2) to demonstrate to interested parties that the organization is operating at acceptable professional levels and 3) to comply with court orders.
The accreditation process usually takes up to 18 months. While individual accreditation awards last three years, the accreditation process is designed to be continuous.
