Orange County Corrections Wins High Accolades from the American Correctional Association
A team of three experienced auditors from the American Correctional Association (ACA) spent three days – March 30 through April 1 – inspecting every facet of the Orange County Corrections Department, and the results were quite impressive. OCCD received 100 percent on all mandatory standards and 99.36 percent on all non-mandatory standards. A total of 383 mandatory standards were reviewed.
“It’s one of the best facilities I’ve been in,” said Brian Neagle, audit chairperson, at the closing session. “Your intake area is fantastic.” Fellow auditor Maria Haynes echoed his praise. “I had the pleasure of going around to areas like the armory and key control,” she said. “The facility is phenomenal.”
Auditor Phillip R. Brown inspected the division’s Health Services and gave “big kudos” to the department. Brown also told Orange County Corrections Chief Louis A. Quiñones, Jr. that he had a great team and to keep them going.
In his closing remarks, Chief Quiñones credited staff for an exemplary audit. “We simply couldn’t do it without staff,” he said. “I can’t tell you how proud I am to hear those numbers. The figures clearly demonstrate that hard work does pay off.”
Deputy Chief Rickey Dumas complimented the ACA Audit Team. “With the vast experience you brought here, I knew we would get a thorough review.” He added, “It’s validating to have experienced and knowledgeable professionals from the outside come in and offer accolades for our facilities and operations.”
Deputy Chief Anthony D. Watts, Sr. reiterated his appreciation to the ACA auditors and commended their professionalism and respect. “We’re grateful for your keen eye and experience,” he said.
As the session wrapped up, Chief Quiñones presented the Audit Team with a certificate of appreciation and a goodie bag. Chairman Neagle will be formulating a recommendation for reaccreditation, which will be reviewed by a panel at the ACA Conference in August in Nashville, Tennessee.
Photo cutline: Orange County Corrections Chief Louis A. Quiñones, Jr. (left) with ACA Auditors Maria Haynes, Brian Neagle and Phillip R. Brown.