Westchester County Jail Again Receives Re-Accreditation

WHITE PLAINS, NY — The Westchester County Jail again received re-accreditation from the American Correctional Association.

By receiving 100 percent compliance of the 59 mandatory standards and 99.67 percent of the 303 non-mandatory standards, the county jail was re-accredited for the fifth time since it first received ACA accreditation status in 2009, the county said in a news release.

In 2009, the county jail became the first large jail in New York State to do so and only the 71st in the country at that time.

The county department of correction maintains the unique distinction of being the only large local jail in New York to be dually accredited by the American Correctional Association and National Commission on Correctional Healthcare, and is also the only New York county jail that has achieved Prison Rape Elimination Act compliance, meeting and exceeding US Department of Justice federal standards.

County Executive George Latimer said the certifications are not just “feathers in the cap” for the county.

“They establish that our Department of Correction operates under the most stringent custodial and medical standards for jail facilities nationwide,” he said.

ACA standards address services, programs, health care and security operations essential to effective correctional management. Through ACA accreditation, an agency is able to maintain a balance between protecting the public and providing an environment that safeguards the life, health and safety of staff and offenders. As part of the re-accreditation process, the auditors made physical inspections on all three work shifts, interviewed multiple employees and residents and reviewed documentation in 362 prepared folders to determine compliance for the past three-year period.

During the Jan. 24 exit interview, the ACA auditors complimented the department’s workforce, highlighting the level of professionalism and operational knowledge they exhibited during the inspection process. Additionally, they were very impressed with the Department’s health care services, mental health treatment, food service operations, rehabilitation programming and overall safety and sanitation procedures.