Fort Leonard Wood's Correctional Training Academy has received its re-accreditation from the American Correctional Association.
The American Correctional Association's mission is to provide a professional organization for all individuals and groups, both public and private who share a common goal of improving the justice system.
"The ACA audit is important because it brings us online with all the operational confinement facilities in the Army, which are currently accredited. Even though we already met the standards for training set forth by the Army, having an independent, standards-based organization to certify us, truly required us to raise the bar in how we train and operate," said Capt. Eric Luley, Company C, 701st Military Police Battalion commander. "Our initial audit was in 2011, and they come back to re-accredit every three years."
Recently, auditors from the ACA were on post to inspect for correctional practices that ensure staff and inmate safety and security, enhance staff morale, improve record maintenance and data management capabilities, assist in protecting the agency against litigation, and improve the function of the facility or agency at all levels.
The Fort Leonard Wood Correctional Training Academy/U.S. Army Military Police School can now be found at aca.org, under the accredited facilities tab.
"We now know that that what we have been doing for the last three years has exceeded Army standards, and is on line with what corrections units in the operational Army have been doing. By achieving 100 percent in all 103 standards, we also now have the burden to maintain them for over the next three years as another audit will happen in 2017."
Corrections and detention Soldiers attend a seven-week Advanced Individual Training, with most Soldiers coming directly from Basic Combat Training.
"Although, about 15 percent of our student population is prior service Soldiers. Fort Leonard Wood is the only installation that trains Initial Entry Training Corrections and Detention Specialists in the U.S. Army, and Charlie company is the only unit to train them," Luley said.
After training on Fort Leonard Wood, Soldiers will generally be assigned to one of the Regional Confinement Facilities in Korea, Germany or Fort Lewis, Washington.
"Many of our Soldiers who have changed their military occupational specialties, will be assigned to the U.S. Army Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth Kansas. We have also sent a large population to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba," Luley added.
After the ACA Convention this month, USAMPS and the unit will receive certificates from the ACA denoting professional excellence to everyone who comes through the course.
"Achieving accreditation over three years was a massive undertaking, but we did not do it alone. On top of all the hard work from my company support cadre and squad leaders, we were required to work with many agencies throughout post," Luley said. "I would like to give special thanks to the Directorate of Public Works, the Fort Leonard Wood Fire Department, the Basic Military Police Training Division and the garrison."
Luley said the USAMPS accreditation team also spent countless hours guiding his team through the requirements.
"It was a true team effort on everyone's part," Luley said.
(Editor's note: Kate Mansell contributed to this story.)
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