Corrections_Today_Summer_2024_Vol.86_No.2

STANDARDS & ACCREDITATION

Expected Practice for Adult Local Detention Facilities; a remote train ing for an agency thinking about accreditation on the accreditation process (they submitted for four accreditation audits); a one day community corrections accredita tion training; and a one day on-site training for Wardens and key leaders on why accreditation is important, what it means to you and the ac creditation process. Supplying important training We also have provided on-site five-day training on the Accredita tion Process and Performance-Based Standards and Expected Practice for Adult Correctional Institutions, fifth edition (have also done juvenile manuals). The on-site training is done at a facility where the training is performed in a classroom in the morning with practical exercises in the facility in the afternoon. Our latest training has been an all-day accreditation manager train ing during our Winter Conference in January. This was a request from the field who told us we needed to provide accreditation training for accreditation managers. The morn ing training featured hot topics and issues for accreditation managers and facilities and the afternoon was for breakout groups divided by facil ity types (prison, jails, juveniles and community corrections). This train ing session will be conducted again at the next conference in Nashville. In March, the standards de partment did remote training the implementation of the Performance Monitoring Visit that was open to

Photo courtesy ACA/David Haasenritter

Facility staff escorting and briefing the ACA audit team during the tour of the facility.

all accreditation managers. It was the first of what we plan to have as one to two hours remote accredita tion manager training twice a year. More important than training, we are standing by at ACA head quarters to answer your questions quickly. If you call, after we discuss the question or situation, we will ask you to send it in an email, so that you get a response in writing. You should first send it to your stan dards and accreditation specialists, and you can put me on the cc line. Initially the specialist will respond, but if not, I will. These are just a few of the things the Standards and Accreditation department does. Just remember our mission is to provide a great service to you. You should expect a call from your Standards and Accredita tion specialists very soon. “What are you afraid of?” Accreditation is one of my deep passions and I talk about the importance and benefits of ACA accreditation every chance I get. When people asked me, “Why

accreditation?” I provide them a few reasons and then ask, “Why not?” and “What are you afraid of?” I am proud to have worked in a fully accredited, Global Eagle Agency. My goal is to increase the number of facilities in accreditation and the number of facilities with the Global Eagle Award. Accreditation is not easy, and it should be awarded only to those who have earned it. The ACA Standards and Accredita tion Department will do everything possible to help you earn it. I am very much looking for ward to seeing you all in Nashville, Tennessee in August at a panel hearing, standards department training session or just in passing at the conference. I will say hello or aloha. CT

David Haasenritter is the Director of Standards & Accreditation at the American Correctional Association in Alexandria, VA. For more

information, contact David Haasenritter at (703) 224-0070 or dhaasenritter@aca.org.

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