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Press Release
Press Release For Immediate Release:
September 10, 2003
Contact:
Christina Deibel or Linda Weyandt, (330) 535-8116
CROSSWAEH Community Based Correctional Facility Earns Perfect Score on State Audit
The CROSSWAEH Community Based Correctional Facility (CBCF) in Tiffin, Ohio, recently was awarded its initial accreditation by the American Correctional Association (ACA). ACA standards address services, programs, and operations essential to good correctional management, including administrative and fiscal controls, staff training and development, physical plant, safety and emergency procedures, sanitation, food service, and rules and discipline. 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 the ACA are the national benchmark for the effective operation of correctional systems throughout the United States and are necessary to ensure that correctional facilities are operated professionally. The CROSSWAEH CBCF is a secured residential facility located in Tiffin. The facility has a capacity of 58 adult males and is designed to divert eligible felony offenders from the state prison system and reduce criminal behavior. CROSSWAEH is an acronym for the nine counties it serves: Crawford, Richland, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Wyandot, Ashland, Erie and Huron. CROSSWAEH is governed by a 12-member Judicial Corrections Board comprised of the Common Pleas Court Judges from each of the counties served by CROSSWAEH. The CBCF is managed and staffed by Oriana House, Inc., a non-profit community corrections and treatment agency based in Summit County, Ohio. The accreditation process involved a two-day, on-site visit by ACA auditors who reviewed 244 standards, met with staff, and interviewed offenders in the CBCF program. CROSSWAEH received a 100% on the mandatory standards and a 99.5% on the non-mandatory standards. Jason Varney, program manager of CROSSWAEH, said the accreditation confirms that Oriana House is operating and providing programming above the national standards, "These results show our commitment to community corrections and chemical dependency treatment and validate the professional services we provide." CROSSWAEH's internal audit team was led by Varney and consisted of the following CROSSWAEH staff members: Robert Carmel, Christine Lechman, Pamela Moyer, Denise Seifert, Harley Shaull, and Christine Ward. CROSSWAEH opened in October of 1999 and employs a staff of 35. The ACA Accreditation is a three-year accreditation award.
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