Five CCA Facilities Re-Accredited by ACA

Five CCA facilities were successfully re-accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA) this week at ACA’s summer conference, maintaining the company’s average accreditation score of 99.3 percent, which is consistent with last year’s average.

“For seven consecutive years, our average ACA score has exceeded 99 percent,” says Don Murray, CCA managing director, Quality Assurance. “We are fully committed to maintaining excellent operations as the best full-service adult corrections system in the nation.”

Accreditation by the ACA is a “stamp of approval” from the leading national and international authority on correctional standards. Accredited facilities must meet 100 percent of more than 60 mandatory standards and comply with 90 percent of approximately 480 non-mandatory standards. These standards assess staff training and development, safety and emergency procedures, sanitation and more. Currently, 92 percent of CCA’s operating facilities are ACA-accredited, among the highest rates of similarly sized systems.

This year, the five CCA facilities that were re-accredited are:

• Marion Adjustment Center – 100%
  
• McRae Correctional Facility – 100%
  
• Crossroads Correctional Center – 99.8%
  
• Lake City Correctional Facility – 99.7%
  
• Northeast Ohio Correctional Center – 99.8%
  

Northeast Ohio filed and won an appeal after receiving an initial score of 99.5 percent. CCA employees working hard on the front lines to achieve the highest possible score realize that every fraction of a percentage point counts.

“The quality assurance managers at CCA facilities work daily to ensure compliance with ACA standards,” says Murray. “Throughout each three-year accreditation cycle, they are at the forefront in helping to ensure the proper performance of this public service.”

Ronda Hughes, quality assurance manager at Marion Adjustment Center, participated in her first ACA audit this year. Preparing for the audit, she says, was a rigorous process that requires a strong commitment to teamwork and overall excellence. When she finally heard the results, it brought her to tears.

“I was overwhelmed when I thought about everything that went into the process of becoming audit-ready,” Hughes says. “We made a plan and stuck to it every single day. I know the next audit will be even better.”

The five re-accredited CCA facilities were recognized by the ACA’s Commission on Accreditation for Corrections at the organization’s 140th Congress of Correction in Chicago, Ill, which started on July 30 and runs through August 4.

“The wardens and staff from all five reaccredited facilities were honored by president and CEO Damon Hininger, several corporate officers and managing directors for their outstanding accomplishments,” Murray says. “Wardens and quality assurance managers accepted the honor on behalf of all staff from each of their respective facilities who worked so diligently to achieve this well-deserved recognition by ACA.”

Two of CCA’s newest facilities – Adams County Correctional Center and North Georgia Detention Center – will be audited for initial accreditation this fall, and 15 other CCA facilities will be audited for re-accreditation this year.

By DeAndra Mack