When we hear the word "Accreditation" many of us think of interference, rules and regulations, red-tape and extra work.  From my perspective, that's understandable, since my employer, the Pinellas County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, and its law enforcement components, Detention and Corrections Bureau, and the boot camp programs, all comply with over 1,750 national and state accreditation standards.  But, having been on both sides of the fence as an auditor and auditee, I have come to think of accreditation more as a virtuous way of life.  Unfortunately, not everyone agrees.

It amazes me how many prisons, jails, holding and juvenile facilities in the United States are either not accredited, or are accredited, but are just "getting by" doing the least they can possibly do to maintain the distinction.  We all know the horror of going through a facility with the inspection team and having the auditor find something out of place.  In most cases, the deficiency can be corrected immediately or the process initiated, if not a quick-fix.  I remember inspecting a jail and finding a rubber glove turned inside out lying on the floor of a main corridor.  I was aghast to find that we actually stepped over that glove four times during the tour without a staff member picking it up.  Of course, the inspection went downhill from there.

I have audited sites that cut and paste the entire standards manual into their policies without adding so much as an exclamation point, let alone making them site-specific.  These are probably the same facilities that maintain their procedure books in administrative offices (assuming they have written procedures) with management staff that rarely, if ever, enter the "bowels" of the institution unless the media is trailing close behind. 

Occasionally, I come across a breach of what I consider to be core professional ethics (never mind basic moral upbringing).    For instance, a facility containing youthful offenders was staffed with some individuals who felt it necessary to instigate aggressive behavior by thumping the youth in the forehead.  If this didn't bring on the desired behavior, then other intimidation techniques were used.  I never quite figured out what form of remedial therapy was in practice, but apparently it wasn't very successful.  And last, but certainly not least, there was the site that allowed suicidal inmates on a one-to-one status access to razor blades and unobserved potty breaks.  I won't go into detail, but suffice it to say, it wasn't a pretty picture.  

On a daily basis I have a different experience. I have the opportunity to work in a facility that really internalizes the very nature of the accreditation process and reflects the practice on a daily basis.  There will always be those who choose to overlook opportunity, but when the majority seizes the challenge required to change their culture for the good, few can hinder progress.  I see a rare culture at the Pinellas County Sheriff' Office.  I see a much more professional, knowledgeable and caring staff here than I do in other correctional facilities I've visited.  We don't blindly "follow the leader."  Change is imminent, yet we don't sit back and wait for it to happen.  We are pro-active and technologically at the forefront of our industry.  We are encouraged to be involved at every level, which is how we differentiate ourselves from others in our field.   

Every facility's inmate population is diverse, depending on demographics.  Some have primarily quiet and low maintenance detainees, while many of us hold and manage the more obnoxious, sickly or just plain mean clientele.   No matter what the constitution of the inmate population, I feel the truest test of a successful facility is not in its receipt of national or state accreditation status, but in its members' ability to transform a historically stressful environment into a safe, pleasant experience for it's staff as well as the members' endeavor in dealing fairly, consistently and humanely with its detainees. That is what makes a successful culture and a successful facility.

*Jeanne L. Phillips, is Health Services Inspector for the Pinellas County, Fla., Sheriff's Office. She is a certified correctional health care professional and an auditor for the American Correctional Association.