Groundbreaking accomplishment for Mecklenburg County jails.

Accomplishing an initial American Correctional Association accreditation for two large adult local detention facilities in slightly more than a year seemed, at first, like an overwhelming and improbable task to complete when Mecklenburg County Sheriff Jim Pendergraph announced that very goal. What made the task seem even more difficult was the fact that there was not a single accredited jail in all of North Carolina. Not surpringly, there were many questions. Why had no other agency in the state undertaken or succeeded in this process? Was there enough time to meet the sheriff's goal of receiving accreditation by the ACA Winter Conference in Charlotte in January 2003? Would Mecklenburg County jail staff succeed?

Pendergraph understood the benefit of accreditation to the approximately 1,850 inmates and 850 detention and civilian staff in the county's two jails. As a result, the goal was set, a team was assembled and the process began in November 2001.

Early in the process, it became evident that the sheriff, along with his executive and command staff, had prepared the agency for this process long before it actually began. Many of the agency's detention division policies were already ACA compliant in content and practice. Others needed only minor revisions to satisfy the specific requirements of ACA's expected practices. What seemed like an insurmountable task was appearing to be achievable.

The cooperative effort between various sections of jail operations, contract services providers and the accreditation staff was a key element of the success of the project. The Mecklenburg County Jail system contracts with several private service providers for health care, maintenance, commissary and food services. Representatives from each of these service providers were included in each phase of the accreditation process from the initial planning stage to the final audit. This teamwork resulted in a smooth transition in the areas in which improvement was required.

As with any project, however, there were obstacles. Just weeks before the technical assistance audit was performed by a team from the National Institute of Corrections, it was discovered that the chemical inventory system needed to be revamped. The facility training officers, who were already taxed with the demands of communicating the policy revisions to the entire staff, began training on the new system. Not only were custody staff affected by this change, but the contract maintenance provider also had to amend the way bulk cleaning agents were distributed to housing units. Ultimately, the professional and dedicated staff at Mecklenburg's jail facilities embraced the changes and implemented them into daily operations.

A successful October 2002 audit by an ACA team coincided with the announcement by the North Carolina Jail Administrators Association that Mecklenburg County Jail-Central had been awarded the North Carolina Large Jail of the Year distinction--an honor bestowed upon the Mecklenburg County Jail-North facility the previous year. These accolades seemed fitting considering the timing and that Mecklenburg County was breaking new ground in the state by having the first ACA accredited facilities.

The fact that the 2003 ACA Winter Conference was held in Charlotte was not lost on Mecklenburg County jail staff. At a ceremony held three blocks from Jail-Central, a standing room only crowd looked on as Pendergraph accepted the two accreditation certificates. Additionally, the staff members were pleased to show of their newly accredited facility to the conference tour groups.

A staff appreciation celebration was held in March to commend staff for their dedication and efforts during the accreditation process, even as work began to maintain accreditation and collect process indicators for the 2006 audit.

Since achieving accreditation, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office has received several requests from other North Carolina jails for advice and assistance in preparing and achieving ACA accreditation. Pendergraph's administration has been honored and proud to assist other agencies in achieving their accreditation goals and promoting the improvement in professionalism of detention facilities not just in their home state, but around the world.

Sgt. Christopher McDaniel is accreditation manager for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office in Charlotte, N.C. He can be reached at [phone]; [e-mail].