September 5, 2024 - The Sumit County Juvenile Court’s Detention Center received its third re-accreditation from the American Correctional Association (ACA). The ACA is nationally and internationally recognized as the standard-bearer for best practices in corrections. The Court received its first ACA accreditation in 2015. Representatives of the Court, Detention Superintendent Melissa Gerney, Special Projects Administrator Lisa DiSabato-Moore, and Detention Supervisor Katherine Good received the accreditation certificate in Nashville in late August.
The recertification is the final facet of the process that began in April when ACA auditors Larry Gallagher, Bonnie Holley, and Chairperson Ruben Reyes visited the Detention Center over a three-day period. They conducted interviews with staff members and examined the Detention Center’s compliance with ACA standards. When the audit was completed, the ACA representatives met with members of the Court staff led by Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio to deliver their findings.
There were two sets of standards advanced by the ACA, one with 31 standards, the other, a more exhaustive 392 standards. The auditors noted that 377 of those standards were applicable to the Detention Center. For the first set of standards, the auditors revealed the Detention Center was in 100% compliance. For the second set of standards, the result was the same: 100% compliance.
Chairperson Reyes indicated how professional he and his colleagues found Court staff, from third shift in Detention to Court administration. He admired the sense of teamwork in Detention. He observed how well Detention Officers interacted with an unruly youth and de-escalating the situation. He believed the youth in Detention were safe and cared for in their units. He pointed to how well data for the Court was so accessible and user-friendly. The auditors were also impressed with the programming in place. Reyes had particular praise for Detention Superintendent Melissa Gerney.
“In watching you work with staff, we found you focused, fearless, and a fixer,” Reyes stated. “You are a class act running a classy facility. We wondered how we could let you know how much we appreciate the work you’ve done here, so we decided on this.” And with that, the three auditors rose from their seats to give Melissa Gerney a standing ovation. Her colleagues did the same.
The auditors then turned their attention to Judge Teodosio.
Said Reyes, “It starts at the top. We have seen what you have done with this Court. You set the tone and I can tell you, the admiration you have from your staff is real.”
Judge Teodosio responded by saying, “It is always good to have an objective point of view, another set of eyes, if you will, observing how we work here. I am so proud of my staff. I know they worked hard to prepare for the audit, but they work hard all the time.”
“Judge Teodosio,” said, Reyes, “I am confident that in 100 years your name will still be mentioned for all the work you have done with this Court.”