Accreditation
Accreditation
GEO subscribes to operational standards promulgated by a number of different certifying organizations and opens its facilities to inspection and accreditation by these associations, commissions, and councils. Accreditation serves as additional protection for the client agency against claims and litigation. As a matter of corporate policy, all GEO facilities are designed and operated in general accordance with the standards and recommendations of one or more of the following organizations:
American Correctional Association (ACA)
As the oldest and largest international correctional association in the world, ACA sets nationally recognized correctional and detention standards. GEO has set a benchmark for quality among private prison companies by maintaining ACA accreditation within 26 of our facilities. GEO currently maintains a 99.4% ACA accreditation average.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
The ISO 9000 family of standards represents an international consensus of standardized requirements for a quality management system (QMS). There are three quality assurance models against which an organizatioon can be audited to assure the QMS is operating effectively; ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 are the most applicable to the corrections industry. GEO’s facilities in Australia and South Africa were the first in country to receive this international accreditation.
National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC)
The Standards for Health Services in Prisons serve as the basis for an on-going accreditation program administered under the auspices of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC). This accreditation program is a voluntary process which GEO has utilized to establish comprehensive health care policies and procedures to meet and adhere to these NCCHC standards and the American Correctional Association (ACA) standards. GEO has been successful in achieving and maintaining NCCHC and ACA accreditation in over 50% of our facilities. The NCCHC Standards, in most cases, exceed ACA Health Care Standards.
The Joint Commission
The Joint Commission is the leader in accreditation and certification of health care organizations and is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards. Based on the NCCHC's experience in administering this accreditation process and, more recently The Joint Commission, an accredited correctional facility can realize, "(1) increased efficiency of health services delivery; (2) greater organizational effectiveness; (3) better overall health protection for offenders; (4) reduced risk of liability related to health services," as well as greater cost effectiveness and overall health protection for staff and the community at large.
Australian Council of Health Care Standards (ACHS)
The Australian Council of Health Care Standards (ACHS), the Australian counterpart to The Joint Commission. Accreditation by ACHS, measures increased efficiency of health services delivery, greater organizational effectiveness, better overall health protection for offenders, reduced risk of liability related to health services, as well as greater cost effectiveness and overall health protection for staff and the community at large.
National Safety Council of Australia Ltd. (NSCA)
NSCA achievement is received for an organization’s comprehensive solution to workplace health, safety, and environment. GEO’s Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre, Junee Correctional Centre, and Fulham Correctional Centre each received the 5 Star Award, the highest rating, and were the first facilities in their state to receive accreditation by NSCA.
This achievement, supported by ISO 9000, demonstrates the commitment to quality and health and safety management systems.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), founded in 1895, accredits more than 13,000 public and private institutions in 11 states of the Southeastern U.S., Latin America and around the world. The accreditation process assures that an institution demonstrates a commitment to providing quality education programs that are aimed at improving student performance. SACS is one of only six such regional accrediting organizations in the U.S. recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
The educational programs at the following GEO facilities are certified by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools:
- Bridgeport Correctional Center
- Cleveland Correctional Center
- Lawrenceville Correctional Center
- Lockhart Secure Work Program Facility
- South Bay Correctional Facility
Correctional Education Association (CEA)
CEA is an international educational accreditation organization that certifies both academic and vocational programs within correctional facilities. The organization founded the first set of comprehensive standards designed to establish a framework for evaluating education programs in a correctional setting. GEO’s Lawton Correctional Facility in Lawton, Oklahoma, became the first adult private correctional facility in the world to be accredited by CEA.