American Correctional Association auditors have recommended accreditation be awarded to Wake Correctional Center.
Wake Correctional is the 42nd N.C. Department of Adult Correction facility that has either been recommended or awarded ACA accreditation. The N.C. Department of Adult Correction is pursuing the distinction for all its facilities and operations.
ACA auditors found Wake Correctional met 100% of mandatory practices and 98.75% of non-mandatory practices during their intensive inspections, conducted Dec. 9-11. The ACA Commission on Accreditation for Corrections will vote to formally grant accreditation at a future meeting.
“I’m very proud of the dedicated staff of Wake Correctional Center, who worked long and hard to make this accomplishment a reality,” said Interim Warden Anecia Johnson. “I also want to thank our department and Central Region leadership, as well as DAC's accreditation and compliance specialists, for all the support and guidance they’ve provided throughout this process.”
The Raleigh facility houses approximately 400 male offenders in minimum custody. Wake Correctional is one of NCDAC’s designated re-entry facilities that prepares offenders with a short term remaining on their sentences to transition back into the community. Offenders assigned to Wake Correctional typically work full-time outside the facility, either with private employers or with state and local government agencies.
ACA audits of 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, ACA auditors spent three days conducting visual inspections, reviewing policies and procedures, and evaluating the work being done to ensure best practices are met at the prison.
The NCDAC Strategic Plan calls for ACA accreditation of all facilities and operations as part of its commitment to operating a high-level state correctional system.
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