(Washington, DC)  Auditors from the American Correctional Association's (ACA) National Accreditation Team conducted a rigorous audit of the DC Jail's Food Service Program Compliance with ACA standards.

The unit received scores of 100 percent compliance ratings on both the mandatory and non-mandatory standards.  According to the ACA auditors, this rating was considered exceptional for an agency seeking accreditation for the first time.

"I could not be happier," said Interim Director S. Elwood York Jr.  "This accomplishment is directly associated to the hard work and dedication of our Accreditation Team, Support Staff, Correctional Officers, Inmates, Management Team and our food service contractor, Aramark." 

The Department of Corrections expects to meet its target date for full accreditation by August 2007.  Currently, only 3 percent of all jails in the United States are ACA accredited.