Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA)
Recognizing Professional Excellence
In 1979, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) was created through the combined efforts of four major law enforcement organizations:
- International Association of Chiefs of Police
- National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
- National Sheriff’s Association
- Police Executive Research Forum
These organizations continue to serve in an advisory capacity to the commission and are responsible for appointing members to the commission’s 21-member board.
CALEA is a voluntary program that represents the best in law enforcement in North America. Its goals are:
- Strengthen crime prevention and control capabilities
- Formalize essential management procedures
- Establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices
- Improve service delivery
- Solidify inter-agency cooperation and coordination
- Boost citizen and staff confidence in the agency
Benefits to participating agencies:
- Stronger defense against lawsuits and citizen complaints
- Greater accountability within the agency
- Support for government officials
- Increased community advocacy
- Recognition for professionalism, excellence and competence
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office participates in the CALEA Law Enforcement Accreditation process. As part of this process, we provide an opportunity for public feedback via the CALEA online accreditation public comment portal.
The purpose of this public portal is to receive comments regarding our compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns. The overall intent of the accreditation process is to provide our agency with information to support continuous improvement, as well as foster our pursuit of professional excellence.
It is important to know that CALEA is not an investigatory body and subsequently the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes Additionally, there will be no response other than acknowledgement to submissions; however, the information will be considered in context to its relevancy to compliance with standards and the tenets of CALEA® Accreditation.
Standard titles may be viewed on the CALEA website: Law Enforcement – Standards Titles | CALEA® | The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. Questions related to the accreditation process may be directed to Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Accreditation Manager: James Strenth at (828) 250-4768
The CALEA public comment portal can be accessed at this website: https://cimrs2.calea.org/1089
American Correctional Association (ACA) Accreditation
The first organized attempt to formulate standards for prisons occurred in 1870 at a conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. The conference, the “Congress on Penitentiary and Reformatory Discipline” became the organizing meeting of the National Prison Association. The driving force behind the convening of the conference was Enoch Cobb Wines.
Standards were developed for prisons during the 1940’s and 1950’s. However, no method for verification of compliance was yet available. ACA appointed a subcommittee to assemble and to publish the first standards manuals. Long before accreditation arrived in the field of corrections, accreditation had become a fact of life in other public services, particularly for academic institutions and hospitals.
During the 1960’s, courts took an increased interest in prison conditions and began considering the constitutionality of a wide variety of prison issues. However, judges were reluctant to intervene in prison management issues. ACA was awarded a grant by the Ford Foundation to study the desirability and feasibility of establishing national correctional standards. ACA began the development of the national correctional standards that exist today. The goals of the standards were to prescribe the best possible practices that could be achieved in the United States, while being both realistic and practical.
In 1974, the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections was established to review and evaluate compliance with the standards. Responsibility for rendering accreditation decisions rests solely with the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections. The standards developed by ACA are the foundation of the accreditation process. They define policies and procedures necessary for the operation of correctional programs that safeguard life, health and safety of the personnel who work in juvenile and adult facilities and programs; as well as the offenders who are a part of the correctional system.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office participates in the ACA Adult Local Detention Faclity Accreditation process for the Buncombe County Detention Center.
If you have any questions regarding the accreditation process you may contact our Accreditation Manager:
James Strenth at (828) 250-4768