First day reporting centers in the nation to achieve ACA 

certification

Kintock is proud to announce that its New Jersey Community Release Centers (CRC) are the first day reporting agencies in the nation to undergo an audit by the American Correctional Association (ACA) and achieve a remarkable near-perfect score of 99 percent.

"I would like to congratulate the entire CRC staff of both Paterson and Newark on being the first CRC programs to receive ACA accreditation,” said Nicole Cucinotta, Corporate Compliance Officer.“Not only was Kintock the first to field test day reporting standards, which had not previously been attempted by our corporate staff or any other agency, but they overcame such obstacles as having their audit spread over two locations in different cities. They did so with policies and procedures that have never been tested before,” added Ms. Cucinotta.

“We know that this could not have been achieved without the assistance of personnel assigned to our other sites. All of our ACA achievements have been due to the incredible professionalism and teamwork of our entire Kintock family,” said Ms. Cucinotta.The two-day audit took place in April at the Paterson and Newark CRCs and was conducted by ACA auditors; the accreditation certificates will be awarded in August 2017 at the next ACA conference in St Louis, MO.The CRCs began the accreditation process approximately 18 months ago with staff and administrators participating in various evaluations and reviews by ACA representatives. To prepare for the audit, Kintock worked diligently to develop comprehensive policies and procedures to address each of the 110 adult day reporting standards set by the ACA.  

The standards used for accreditation address clinical services, security and operations essential to good correctional management. They include administrative and fiscal controls, staff training and development, physical plant safety and emergency procedures, sanitation, and rules and discipline, according to Ms. Cucinotta.“I would like to commend Facility Directors Pierre Frances and Robinette Arthur for their hard work and commitment during the lengthy and demanding accreditation process. It is a job well done, and my thanks also goes out to the entire staff at the Newark and Paterson CRCs for their hard work and commitment to providing high quality services,” said Paul Taggines, Corporate Director of Facility Operations.

“A special thanks to the Newark CRC staff for hosting the auditors during the two-day event. The staff did a remarkable job providing ongoing supporting documentation, answering questions and showing hospitality to the team of ACA auditors,” noted Ms. Cucinotta.“The addition of two more facilities to achieve ACA accreditation further demonstrates Kintock’s commitment to excellence in community corrections. I’m so pleased to announce that all of Kintock programs/facilities are now ACA accredited,” said Diane DeBarri, Chairman and CEO. 

“This accomplishment underscores our steadfast resolve to providing contracting entities and participants with high-quality correctional reentry services designed to break the cycle of recidivism,” she added.The American Correctional Association and the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections are private, non-profit organizations that administer the only national accreditation program for all components of adult and juvenile corrections. 

Accreditation is achieved through a series of reviews, evaluations, surveys and audits conducted by qualified ACA auditors.“The ACA Standards and Accreditation process will help to enhance services and programs for the participants in our CRCs and improve professional procedures by our administrators and staff. 

As the only ACA accredited day reporting center in the nation, Kintock’s accomplishment has lead the way for other parole programs to pursue ACA accreditation,” said Ms. Cucinotta.“Kintock looks forward to collaborating with the commission and providing feedback regarding the process and standards that will allow the ACA to publish adult day reporting standards that other parole programs can reference when pursuing accreditation,” she added.