American Correctional Association auditors have recommended accreditation be awarded to the Craggy Correctional Institution, a high achievement, and another step toward full accreditation of the North Carolina prison system.
“This accreditation is the gold standard in the corrections profession,” said Department of Adult Correction audit administrator Paula Page, whose team of professionals assist and guide the facilities in preparing for ACA accreditation. “I am very pleased the ACA auditors have recognized the hard work by our staff and our commitment to excellence.”
The ACA standards are the national benchmark for the effective operation of correctional systems throughout the United States.
ACA auditors said the prison, located in Asheville, scored 100 percent on the audit for mandatory standards and a remarkable 99.8 percent on non-mandatory standards during their intensive inspections, May 22-24.
These 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 conducted visual inspections, reviewed policies and procedures, and probed the work being done to ensure best practices are met at the prison.
The Department of Adult Correction is pursuing accreditation for all prison facilities and Correction Enterprises operations, as envisioned in the strategic plan found here: https://www.dac.nc.gov/documents/files/prisons-strategic-plan/open
“We have many hard-working professionals with a commitment to excellence,” said Warden Travis Byrd. “The auditors recognized the dedication of our staff at Craggy Correctional with these outstanding scores, and I’m very thankful for the work done by the team who worked on preparing for this intensive and extensive audit.”