June 2022 — MHCE Newsletter

WWW.MHCE.US Monthly Newsletter | 5
Focus on Oversight a Key for Success at
CoreCivic
In the corrections industry, maintaining high standards of
operation is imperative to meeting the needs of the individuals
in our care. That's why CoreCivic adheres to a stringent set of
guidelines set forth by our own standards, as well as those of our
government partners and the American Correctional Association
(ACA).
Founded in 1870, the ACA is considered the national benchmark
for the effective operation of correctional systems throughout
the United States. To become accredited, a facility must achieve
compliance with ACA mandatory standards and a minimum of
90 percent non-mandatory standards. CoreCivic facilities adhere
to ACA standards, and in 2020, CoreCivic earned an average
ACA audit score of 99.6 percent across all facilities.
Key ACA audit areas include facility personnel, resident reentry
programs, resident safety, health care, and more.
holds our facilities and staff to a high standard. To be able to
represent our facility and receive reaccreditation in person is an
honor."
Adhering to ACA standards is only one part of CoreCivic's
commitment to robust oversight. When government partners
utilize CoreCivic's services, we are held not only to our own
high standards and those of the ACA, but we are often held to
the same or higher accountability of our public counterparts
through stringent government contracts, unfettered access to
our facilities for our partners, and hundreds of on-site quality
assurance monitors.
We provide access to our government partners, with most of
our facilities having government agency employees known as
contract monitors who are physically on-site to ensure we are
operating in line with partner guidelines.
Recently, the ACA held in Nashville, Tennessee, its 151st
Congress of Corrections, an annual convention that brings
together corrections professionals from across the country. In
addition to various workshops and events at the convention, the
ACA Commission on Accreditation also held panel hearings to
award accreditation to correctional facilities that meet the ACA's
rigorous requirements. Listed below are the seven CoreCivic
facilities that earned reaccreditation this year, with mandatory/
non-mandatory scores:
• Bent County Correctional Facility - 100/99.0
• Citrus County Detention Facility - 100/100
• Eloy Detention Center - 100/100
• Lake Erie Correctional Institution - 100/99.3
• Saguaro Correctional Center - 100/99.8
• Stewart Detention Center - 100/100
• Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility - 100/100
"The accreditation process is very important," said Warden
Fred Figueroa from Eloy Detention Center, one of the seven
CoreCivic facilities that was awarded reaccreditation. "ACA
To maintain our own high standards, annual on-site audits covering
all operational areas are administered to ensure compliance with
contractual and regulatory obligations and corporate-mandated
requirements. Each CoreCivic Safety facility is audited by our
internal quality assurance division, which is independent from
our operations division. Facilities are expected to be audit-ready
year-round, maintaining continuous compliance with numerous
applicable standards.
CoreCivic employs 75 staff members dedicated to quality
assurance, including several subject matter experts with extensive
experience from all major disciplines within our institutional
operations.
"A lot of hard work goes into preparing for these audits,"
Figueroa said. "Once they're complete, the staff can see their
accomplishments and feel proud."
Having multiple levels of oversight helps CoreCivic maintain
a safe environment for those in our care. By holding ourselves
accountable to our own high standards, along with our
government partners' and ACA's standards, CoreCivic continues
to be a trusted partner working to better the public good.