Monday, August 18, 2014

Sierra Conservation Center Accredited with the American Correctional Association - press release



Tuolumne County prison received a near perfect score following rigorous audit by national experts

JAMESTOWN – The Commission on Accreditation for Corrections accredited Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) with the American Correctional Association (ACA) yesterday. SCC is one of 16 California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) prisons now accredited with the oldest and largest international correctional association in the world.

“ACA accreditation is an important and highly respected indicator which demonstrates that our state prisons are being operated safely, professionally, humanely and in compliance with the U.S. Constitution,” said CDCR Secretary Jeff Beard. “I commend all CDCR employees for their ongoing commitment to ensuring our facilities meet and exceed such strict standards.”


 
“Earning ACA accreditation is a tremendous achievement and represents the ‘can do’ attitude our employees have to complete any challenge put in front of them” SCC Warden Heidi M. Lackner said. “ACA accreditation is good for CDCR and has challenged us to review our processes, improve working conditions for staff and living conditions for inmates, and promoted teamwork and pride in our facilities.”

For more than 143 years, the ACA has been the recognized worldwide authority in corrections and its Commission on Accreditation for Corrections certifies correctional facilities. The ACA is responsible for conducting the audits; the Commission, comprised of corrections professionals from across the country, is responsible for granting or denying the accreditation.

ACA standards are the national benchmark for the effective operation of correctional facilities. The ACA’s Standards Committee continually revises standards based on changing practices, current case law, agency experiences and the expert opinions of corrections professionals, doctors, legal experts and architects. Adult and juvenile facilities, community-based programs, and parole and probation agencies all use ACA standards. Lawyers, judges, county administrators, academia and advocacy groups also use ACA standards as a tool to ensure the constitutional rights of offenders and to protect staff and the public.

Institutions seeking accreditation must undergo rigorous reviews and evaluations that culminate in the accreditation audit. CDCR’s Special Review Unit in the Office of Audits and Court Compliance provides departmental oversight and works with the Division of Health Care Services in the accreditation process.

The accreditation audit is a comprehensive review that encompasses every area of prison management including administrative and fiscal controls, staff training and development, the physical plant, safety and emergency procedures, conditions of confinement, rules and discipline, inmate programs, health care, food service, sanitation, and the provision of basic services that can affect the life, safety and health of inmates and staff.

Institutions seeking accreditation have to comply with 529 ACA standards and score 100 percent for 62 mandatory requirements and at least 90 percent on 467 non-mandatory requirements. Half of the mandatory standards address health care.

ACA audit teams visited SCC and conducted comprehensive on-site audits of all aspects of prison operations. SCC met all of the mandatory requirements and scored 98.8 percent, significantly exceeding the 90 percent mark for non-mandatory items.

California Institution for Women, Centinela State Prison, Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, Folsom State Prison, Ironwood State Prison, Kern Valley State Prison and Wasco State Prison and Reception Center were also accredited yesterday by the ACA during its 144th Congress of Correction in Salt Lake City.

CDCR’s goal is to have all of its 34 institutions accredited by 2017.

For more about CDCR: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/

For more about the American Correctional Association: http://www.aca.org/