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LEFT: Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino (CLIFFVIEWPILOT.COM PHOTO: No use without hyperlink)
“I applaud Warden Robert Bigott, the dedicated correction officers and staff for making this possible,” Saudino said of the high grades the jail that he oversee received from the American Corrections Association (ACA).
Earning accreditation helps identify a facility’s strengths and weaknesses, provides a better system of documentation and daily operations, and, in the process, helps keep morale up.
It also helps keep and liability down, a huge boon for Bergen County taxpayers (Think about it: When was the last time you heard of an escape or a lawsuit against any officers at the River Street facility in Hackensack?).
In fact, only two other jails in the entire state had gotten the ACA’s seal of approval — in Morris and Monmouth counties — until now.
The accreditation followed an independent audit last fall, while Leo McGuire was sheriff, that included a tour and examination of the jail; a review of records, files, and written documentation of policies, procedures, and operations; and interviews not only with jail administrators and staff — but with some of the inmates, as well.
Lt. John Pickel made a final presentation to the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections during the ACA’s 2011 Winter Conference last month.
The commission the gave the Bergen County Jail the nod based, in part, on the proper levels of security, the quality of life, food service, medical care, access to the legal system, cleanliness, maintenance, training and administration.
Founded in 1870, the American Correctional Association is the largest and oldest agency of its kind in the world. It’s considered to have the final word on standards, innovation and professionalism in the corrections field.
The Bergen County Jail, meanwhile, employees 320 Corrections Officers to oversee central reception and processing for pre-trial male and female adult detainees “whose incarceration is necessary to ensure a court appearance,” as the literature describes it.
The 1,250-bed facility also holds short-timers — those sentenced to 364 days or fewer — in either minimum, medium or maximum security environment.
“While this is an honor,” Saudino said, “it is also a call to keep working hard to maintain the Bergen County Jail’s high standards and reputation.”
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