Press Releases

Summit County CBCF Receives National Accreditation

For Immediate Release: August 28, 2009
Contact: Christina Deibel or Linda Weyandt: (330) 535-8116

The Summit County Community Based Correctional Facility (CBCF) is proud to achieve a perfect score on its recent audit and be reaccredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA). The award was presented in conjunction with the American Correctional Association Congress of Correction Conference earlier this month. The Summit County CBCF includes a 164-bed male facility and a 60-bed female facility that are managed by Oriana House, Inc., and governed by the Summit County Facility Governing Board. Oriana House is a private, nonprofit, community corrections and chemical dependency treatment agency based in Summit County.

In presenting the award, Lannette Linthicum, M.D., Chairperson of the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections, and Harold Clarke, President of the American Correctional Association (ACA), complimented Oriana House on its professional level of operation and success in completing the accreditation process.

“The Summit County CBCF received a 100% on all 34 mandatory and 204 non-mandatory standards,” said Bernie Rochford, Oriana House executive vice president. “I am proud of our staff who are committed to delivering high quality programming that can effectively help offenders turn their lives around.”

The CBCF provides a highly-structured and secure community sanction for felony offenders and offers chemical dependency treatment, academic assessments and opportunities, community service, and employment training which are all imperative to the rehabilitation of offenders. Research shows that carefully screened offenders can be diverted from prison to controlled community supervision settings without compromising the safety of the community and with significantly higher success rates. Offenders sentenced to CBCFs usually complete the program in four to six months and are involved in a multi-tiered treatment plan.

The Summit County CBCF for Men opened in 1992 and is located at 264 East Crosier Street in Akron. The Cliff Skeen CBCF for Women opened in 2001 and is located at 941 Sherman Street in Akron. Other facilities/programs operated by Oriana House that are accredited by ACA include: Electronic Monitoring, Day Reporting, Residential Institutional Probation, Terrence Mann Residential Center, Residential Correctional Center, Special Housing Adjustment Residential Program (SHARP), Oriana House Community Corrections and Treatment Center in Cleveland, and CROSSWAEH CBCF in Tiffin, Ohio.

The ACA accreditation process involves a professional peer review based on national standards that address services, programs, and operations essential to effective correctional management. The standards were developed by national leaders from the field of corrections, law, architecture, health care, and other groups who are interested in sound correctional management. Through accreditation, an agency is able to maintain a balance between protecting the public and providing an environment that safeguards the life, health, and safety of staff and offenders. Standards set by ACA reflect practical, up-to-date policies and procedures and function as a management tool for agencies and facilities throughout the world.

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