Another five N.C. Department of Adult Correction facilities are now officially among the nation’s best-operated.
A panel of the American Correctional Association voted at its annual convention Friday to award full accreditation to:
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Carteret Correctional Center, Newport
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Columbus Correctional Institution, Whiteville
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Craggy Correctional Center, Asheville
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Forsyth Correctional Center,Winston-Salem
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Orange CorrectionalCenter, Hillsborough.
“ACA accreditation is the national benchmark in the corrections profession,” said Secretary of Adult Correction Todd Ishee. “This is an outstanding achievement by our staff. It’s a recognition of their hard work and their commitment to excellence.”
Ten DAC operations had already earned accreditation. The Division of Prisons’ Strategic Plan calls for accreditation of all 53 state correctional facilities and all 18 Correction Enterprises production sites.
Accreditation requires detailed onsite inspections known as audits. ACA auditors comb through all operations at the facility to make sure that its policies and actual practices ensure safety and security, enhance staff morale, maintain accurate records and contribute to effective and efficient functionality.
If satisfied, audit teams recommend accreditation by a panel of ACA commissioners, which take a further hard look at the audit results before taking a vote on each facility.
“Accreditation by the ACA is the gold standard that all our facilities aspire to meet,” said DAC Audit Administrator Paula Page, whose team assists and guides facility staffs in preparing for ACA audits and accreditation. “It lets everyone know that this facility is one of the safest and most effectively operated in the nation.”
Previously earning ACA certification were:
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Prisons Central Office, Raleigh
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Catawba Correctional Center, Newton
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Lincoln Correctional Center, Lincolnton
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Sanford Correctional Center, Sanford
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Tyrrell Prison Work Farm, Columbia
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Western Correctional Center for Women, Black Mountain
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Wilkes Correctional Center, Wilkesboro
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Correction Enterprises Central Office, Raleigh
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CE Sign Reclaiming Plant, Carthage
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CE Janitorial Products Plant, Norlina
Nash Correctional Institution in Nashville and Caldwell Correctional Center in Lenoir were recommended for accreditation by auditors in July. ACA commissioners will vote on their accreditation in January 2024.
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