American Correctional Association auditors have recommended accreditation be awarded to Southern Correctional Institution in Montgomery County, another step toward full accreditation of the North Carolina prison system.
Southern Correctional is the 29th N.C. Department of Adult Correction location or operation recommended for accreditation.
ACA auditors found Southern Correctional scored 100% on the audit for mandatory standards and 98.6% on non-mandatory standards during their intensive inspections, conducted Feb. 26-28. The ACA Commission on Accreditation for Corrections will vote to formally grant accreditation at a future meeting.
“I'm very proud of our staff for the effort they make every day and every shift to operate Southern Correctional to the highest standards,” said Warden Henry Nordan. “We’ve all put in a lot of extra effort the past few months to prepare for this audit. Our success is a testament to the staff’s teamwork and dedication.”
Southern Correctional, located in Troy, houses approximately 650 close-custody offenders.
The audit’s performance-based standards evaluate fundamental correctional practices that
- ensure staff and offender safety and security
- enhance staff morale
- improve record maintenance and data management capabilities
- and improve the function of the facility.
As part of the accreditation process, the ACA auditors spent three days conducting visual inspections, reviewing policies and procedures, and probing the work being done to ensure best practices are met at the prison.
The Department is pursuing accreditation for all its operations, as envisioned in the NCDAC Strategic Plan.
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