LIS

Administrative Code

Creating a Report: Check the sections you'd like to appear in the report, then use the "Create Report" button at the bottom of the page to generate your report. Once the report is generated you'll then have the option to download it as a pdf, print or email the report.

Virginia Administrative Code
Title 6. Criminal Justice And Corrections
Agency 15. State Board of Local and Regional Jails
Chapter 20. Regulations Governing Certification and Inspection
11/21/2024

6VAC15-20-10. Definitions.

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Appeal" means the action taken by a facility or program administrator when there is disagreement with a compliance audit finding.

"Audit report" means the official report of compliance audit findings prepared by the Compliance and Accreditation Unit supervisor for the department and submitted to the board.

"Board" means the State Board of Corrections.

"Certification analyst" means a person assigned to the Compliance and Accreditation Unit who serves as chairperson or team leader of the certification team.

"Certification/accreditation team" means persons appointed by the Compliance and Accreditation Unit manager or the American Correctional Association to conduct compliance audits.

"Community residential program" means any group home, halfway house, or other physically unrestricting facility used for the housing, treatment, or care of adult offenders established or operated with funds appropriated to the Department of Corrections from the state treasury and maintained or operated by any political subdivision, combination of political subdivisions, or privately operated agency within the Commonwealth.

"Compliance and Accreditation Unit" means the organizational unit of the department responsible for scheduling and conducting compliance audits to board standards.

"Compliance" means that no deficiency was cited by the certification team or that cited deficiencies have been corrected through completion of the tasks identified in the plan of action.

"Compliance audit" means an on-site official review of a facility or program by the certification team to evaluate compliance with standards promulgated by the board.

"Compliance and Accreditation Unit local facilities supervisor" means an individual responsible to the Compliance and Accreditation Unit manager for supervising the Board of Corrections' local facilities inspections.

"Compliance and Accreditation Unit manager" means an individual responsible to the Deputy Director of Administration for managing the Board of Corrections' certification process.

"Compliance and Accreditation Unit supervisor" means an individual responsible to the Compliance and Accreditation Unit manager for supervising the Board of Corrections' certification process.

"Compliance documentation" means specific documents or information including records, reports, observations and verbal responses required to verify compliance with standards by a facility or program.

"Decertified" means a status imposed by the board when it is determined that a facility or program has not met a minimum acceptable level of compliance with standards.

"Deficiency" means noncompliance with a specific standard.

"Department" means the Department of Corrections.

"Director" means the Director of the Department of Corrections.

"Facility" means the physical plant of a state, local or private correctional facility or community correctional facility.

"Facility or program administrator" means the individual responsible for the operation of a facility or program subject to standards, rules or regulations of the board.

"Inspection" means an on-site official review of a local correctional facility by local facilities managers to assess compliance with life, health and safety standards promulgated by the board.

"Interim compliance audit" means an on-site official review of a facility or program by the Compliance and Accreditation Unit to evaluate compliance with standards promulgated by the board which occurs at an interval other than the regular schedule as provided in 6VAC15-20-20. The interim compliance audit may consist of a determination of compliance with all standards applicable to the facility or program or may be limited to specific standards as directed by the board.

"Life, health and safety alert" means a process by which the board is provided immediate notice by department staff of life, health and safety deficiencies identified in local facilities/programs.

"Life, health, safety standards" means those standards directly related to life, health or safety issues as identified by the board.

"Local correctional facility" means a jail, regional jail, or lockup.

"Plan of action" means a document stating what has been or will be done to bring all deficiencies into compliance with standards, including a description of the activities undertaken, staff responsibilities, and a time table for completion.

"Preparatory audit" means an unofficial review of a facility or program by regional staff or the Compliance and Accreditation Unit to evaluate compliance with standards promulgated by the board.

"Private correctional facility" means a facility that is operated by an entity which has entered into a legal agreement to provide any correctional services to the Department of Corrections with respect to inmates under the custody of the Commonwealth.

"Probationary certification" means a status granted by the board for a specific period of time to correct deficiencies within the control of the facility or program.

"Program" means a system of services provided to offenders by probation and parole offices and other community-based services.

"Region" means the geographic area in which a facility or program is located as established by the department.

"Regional office" means the administrative offices of a specific region within the department.

"Unconditional certification" means that a facility or program is in 100% compliance with all applicable standards based upon the receipt of the plan of action.

"Variance" means a decision by the board to suspend the requirements of a specific standard for a specific period of time.

Statutory Authority

§ 53.1-5 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR230-01-003:1 § 1.1, eff. May 1, 1993; amended, Virginia Register Volume 13, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1997; Volume 23, Issue 22, eff. August 9, 2007; Volume 28, Issue 6, eff. December 21, 2011.

Website addresses provided in the Virginia Administrative Code to documents incorporated by reference are for the reader's convenience only, may not necessarily be active or current, and should not be relied upon. To ensure the information incorporated by reference is accurate, the reader is encouraged to use the source document described in the regulation.

As a service to the public, the Virginia Administrative Code is provided online by the Virginia General Assembly. We are unable to answer legal questions or respond to requests for legal advice, including application of law to specific fact. To understand and protect your legal rights, you should consult an attorney.