Standards & Committees

Since 1954, the American Correctional Association has published operational standards designed to enhance correctional practices for the benefit of inmates, staff, administrators, and the public.  In the decades since the Manual on Correctional Standards- First Edition was created, the Association has diversified and extended its standards and today publishes 22 different manuals for all areas of the field of corrections.  This includes dedicated manuals for the operation of differing facility types, including prisons, jails, juvenile correctional facilities, juvenile detention facilities, probation/parole agencies, halfway houses, and others.  Similarly, ACA publishes standards for correctional programs that impact multiple facilities such as correctional industries (manufacturing programs), food service, electronic monitoring, therapeutic communities, and central office administration.  Recently, the Association added new International Core Standards, designed to implement basic correctional practice on the international level.       

Across the United States and the world, the ACA standards have been integrated into routine operations in more than 1,300 facilities and agencies.  Tens of thousands of staff and inmates are impacted by the ACA standards on a daily basis.  For more information on the creation and monitoring of the ACA standards; individual standards manuals; updates and interpretations from the ACA staff; or to purchase the ACA standards, explore the links on this page.