American Correctional Association auditors have recommended accreditation be awarded to Pamlico Correctional Institution, another step toward full accreditation of the North Carolina prison system.
Pamlico Correctional is the 32nd N.C. Department of Adult Correction location or operation recommended for accreditation.
ACA auditors found Pamlico Correctional scored 100% on the audit for mandatory standards and 99.1% on non-mandatory standards during their intensive inspections, conducted July 15-17. The ACA Commission on Accreditation for Corrections will vote to formally grant accreditation at a future meeting.
“Our success is a testament to teamwork and dedication,” said Warden Mark Fleming. “The staff of Pamlico Correctional Institution works tirelessly each and every shift to make sure we operate to the highest standards. I’m grateful to our staff, and to the Department’s Office of Professional Standards, for all the extra effort everyone’s made the past few months to prepare for this audit.”
Pamlico Correctional, located in Bayboro, houses approximately 550 medium-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.
# # #