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Corrections Accreditation and Privatization Essay Example

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Corrections Accreditation and Privatization Essay Example
Corrections Accreditation and Privatization
Rachelle Davis
CJS/230
May 13, 2012
John Feltgen

Corrections accreditation is a system of verification that correctional agencies go by to comply with national standards set forth by the American Correctional Association, it is achieved through reviews, evaluations, audits, and hearings. If an organization wants accreditation they have to follow a sequence of steps. The steps are: Preaccreditation assessment, Application status, Correspondent status, Standards compliance audit, Accreditation hearing, Accredited status, and Reaccreditation. Some of the most frequent reasons for accreditation are: to ensure that they are in compliance with national standards and to demonstrate to interested parties that they are operating at acceptable professional levels. This process is set up to properly teach our corrections officers on what is acceptable and what isn’t. It is also meant to provide a safer environment. Some of the benefits of accreditation include the assessment of a facility's strengths and weaknesses, the implementation of state-of-the-art policies and procedures, aid in the defense of frivolous lawsuits, and a higher level of staff professionalism and morale.
Privatization in prisons is just basically private organizations that have government contracts to operate prisons, provide meals, healthcare, and maintenance. The Convict Lease System was one of the first examples of prison privatization. People in southern states during the reconstruction period would lease prisoners to serve as laborers for railroad and mining companies, large plantations, and even logging companies. They assumed all responsibility for the care, housing, and security of the prisoners in their employ, and paid the state governments for their labor (Wells, 1893). The Geo Group is a private organization that operates approximately 47 detention centers throughout the country. Privatization helps free up government resources, introduces

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