Commission on Jail Standards
An Audit Report on the Inspection Process at the Commission on Jail Standards
July 1999
Report Number 99-043
Overall Conclusion
The Commission on Jail Standards' (Commission) process for inspecting jails ensures that both county jails and private facilities that house out-of-state inmates comply with state jail standards.
Key Facts and Findings
The Commission can better ensure that jails comply with standards by:
- Better documenting its inspection procedures and results. Documentation of inspections
serves as supporting evidence for the Commission's determination of compliance, to which
management occasionally testifies on behalf of counties in litigation matters. Further,
better documentation would improve the Commission's ability to look at trends and protect
it from the risk of losing institutional knowledge from staff turnover. Inspectors do not
document the procedures or tests used to determine whether or not a jail complies with
standards.
- Using risk factors to schedule inspections. The Commission does not have a way to ensure that jails with problems are inspected sooner rather than later. Although the Commission conducts regular inspections of jails under its jurisdiction, these inspections are not always scheduled based on risk factors. Statute requires the Commission to schedule announced and unannounced inspections based on the jail's history of compliance with Commission standards and other high-risk factors.
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