ELIZABETHTON – During a board meeting in Nashville on Wednesday, the Tennessee Corrections Institute awarded the Carter County Detention Center with Tier 1 Accreditation status following a lengthy review and audit process.
This marks the first time the Carter County Detention Center has hit this milestone achievement through the TCI.
“Our staff has worked diligently to meet the required standards to achieve accreditation, and I am thrilled to see their hard work rewarded,” said Jail Administrator Captain Matt Patterson.
Currently, the TCI recognizes two tiers of accreditation that local detention facilities can earn that are above and beyond the standards of the annual jail inspection and certification. For each tier of accreditation there are 25 corresponding standards – five which are mandatory and 20 which are optional. To achieve accreditation, the facility must meet all five of the mandatory standards and at least 17 of the 20 optional standards.
These accreditation standards focus on operational matters such as employee training, agency policies, availability of programs to reduce inmate recidivism, available medical services for inmates, and the jail’s physical facility.
“TCI comes in and audits our policies, our training, staffing levels, inmate programs, and many other factors to determine if we meet the standards for accreditation,” Capt. Patterson said. “This was a much more thorough and in-depth review than the annual inspection TCI performs for jail certification.”
Sheriff Mike Fraley stated he is proud of the work done by Captain Patterson and his staff in achieving this milestone accomplishment.
“Captain Patterson and his staff worked tirelessly to meet these standards and achieve Tier 1 Accreditation by the TCI for the first time in the department’s history,” Sheriff Fraley said. “This achievement is all the more meaningful and impressive when you look at where this facility was three years ago, when it was on the cusp of losing state certification. Having the right leadership team in place, combined with a commitment from the County Commission to invest in our employees, changed the trajectory of this facility and led to this accomplishment today.”