NCJ Number
81158
Journal
Corrections Magazine Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1982) Pages: 6-19
Date Published
1982
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The process, standards, and pros and cons of the accreditation system for corrections are examined in view of the work done by the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections (CAC). Critics have voiced concerns over accreditation of two maximum-security institutions which are notorious for poor conditions and overcrowding.
Abstract
Many feel that the accreditation of such prisons as Florida State Prison and Menard Correctional Center in Illinois, which have long exhibited abysmal conditions for inmates, have devalued the credibility of the accreditation process. However, the supporters of accreditation argue that it is too much to expect the fledgling process, first funded by LEAA in 1974, to immediately inspire radical reform of traditional institutions, particularly when more people are being sent to prison and fewer resources are provided for them. Their hope is that accreditation will lead to a gradual tightening of standards that will eventually force States to reform or abandon outdated and overcrowded prisons. The accreditation process calls for a self-evaluation performed by the applicant prison and an inspection by CAC staff of the institution. To qualify for accreditation, an institution must fulfill a percentage of standards. However, it can fail 10 percent of the 404 essential standards, 20 percent of the 56 important standards, or 30 percent of the 5 desirable standards established in the 1977 and still be accredited. Accreditation can be withdrawn if the institution has slipped in its performance on followup visits. Those opposed to the standards as presently constituted call them inadequate or far short of common constitutional guarantees. Moreover, standards can be satisfied by mere promises of compliance through written policy, regardless of whether they are carried out or not. Further benefits and drawbacks of accreditation are mentioned, and a measure to reform the system (limiting the prison population) is suggested by CAC. Photographs are provided.