TDOC Earns Reaccreditation

NASHVILLE – Two Department of Correction facilities earned reaccreditation from the American Correctional Association (ACA) during a panel hearing in Washington, D.C. last month.  Both the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville and the Turney Center Industrial Complex in Only, Tennessee underwent a stringent reaccreditation process which included an examination of all areas of facility operations.  The prisons were recognized for exceeding standards in the areas of overall security, response to incidents, medical/mental health care for offenders, food services and cleanliness. 

“We are pleased to receive this honor from the ACA,” Commissioner Derrick D. Schofield said.  “Our teams work hard each day to operate safe and secure prisons and provide effective community supervision in order to enhance public safety.  This recognition affirms we are headed in the right direction.”

The Department of Correction seeks accreditation from the ACA in order to ensure the operation is in compliance with national standards and to demonstrate that we are operating at acceptable professional levels.  All state and privately operated prisons in Tennessee are currently ACA accredited and must reapply every three years.  In 1994, the Tennessee Department of Correction became one of the first correctional systems in the country to be fully accredited by the ACA.