CCA Earns Mid-Year ACA Score of 99.3%

Ten correctional facilities operated by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the nation’s largest corrections management provider to federal, state and local government, have been re-accredited by the industry-respected American Correctional Association (ACA) through mid-year 2008, bringing the company’s systemwide average accreditation score to 99.3 percent.

Accreditation by the ACA serves as a “stamp of approval” from the leading national and international authority on correctional standards. The accreditation process involves a rigorous evaluation of operational performance, staff training and development, safety and security, and more. “The ACA accreditation process not only enables a facility to improve its day-to-day operations, but also offers the ability to develop plans and policies based on proven national standards and the best practices used in corrections,” says Mark Flowers, ACA director of standards and accreditation.

As one of many examples of CCA facilities’ accomplishments in accreditation, the company’s Red Rock Correctional Center, located in Eloy, Ariz., earned a score of 100 percent on its first ACA accreditation audit. This year, 10 CCA facilities have earned re-accreditation to date, including:
• Bay Correctional Facility (Panama City, Fla.) – 99.8%
• Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (Woodville, Miss.) - 99.7%
• Otter Creek Correctional Center (Wheelwright, Ky.) – 99.6%
• Lindsey State Jail (Jacksboro, Texas) – 99.5%
• Willacy County State Jail (Raymondville, Texas) – 99.2%
• California City Correctional Center (California City, Calif.) – 99.1%
• Dawson State Jail (Dallas, Texas) – 98.6%
• Leavenworth Detention Center (Leavenworth, Kan.) – 98.6%
• Marion County Jail II (Indianapolis, Ind.) – 98.3%
• Bradshaw State Jail (Henderson, Texas) – 97.4%

Currently, 609 prisons and 140 jails in the nation are accredited by the ACA. Nearly 90 percent of CCA’s 65 operating facilities have achieved this accomplishment, meeting more than 500 standards in all areas of facility operations, including security, food service, fire safety, sanitation, maintenance, health care, education, recreation, visitation, mail, administration and other operational areas.

“ACA standards are the basis for measuring professionalism and competency in our industry,” says Jan Fuson, CCA’s quality assurance consulting manager. “CCA’s operating policies and procedures are primarily based upon these standards. CCA facilities strive to obtain a 100 percent accreditation rating as a demonstration of consistent quality operations and professionalism.”

ACA success is a means by which public and private correctional entities may be measured against industry standards and, to some degree, draw comparisons to one another. ACA accreditation is an added operational accomplishment for CCA facilities, which are also subject to annual internal audits, external inspections by local health, building and fire authorities, and customer-specific contractual mandates. At CCA facilities, professionals in operations, health services, inmate programs, education, maintenance, management and administration work together to meet the ACA’s exacting criteria.

“It took years of hard work and a strong commitment from CCA employees to obtain the consistently high ratings across the company that CCA is currently experiencing,” says Fuson. “The majority of credit goes to the facility staff and those individuals charged with ensuring quality assurance, those who make the best practice a common practice.”

On-site accreditation audits occur once every three years through a three-day process, in which three ACA auditors examine and evaluate facility operations. Accredited facilities must meet 100 percent of more than 60 mandatory standards and comply with 90 percent of approximately 480 non-mandatory standards.

To find out more about quality assurance, correctional accreditation and CCA operations, please view the following online resources.

Learn more about quality assurance with CCA.

Learn more about the American Correctional Association’s accreditation process.

To learn more about facility operations, inmate programs, safety and security, and more, please visit the CCA Resource Center.