Position Number:
County: Lincoln
Posting End Date: 7/31/2025
Anticipated Starting Salary: $39171.00
Location: Cummins Unit - Grady
The mission of the Department of Corrections is to be a public safety resource for Arkansas families by providing professional management solutions and evidence-based rehabilitative initiatives for offenders.
All DOC positions are designated as Safety Sensitive Positions and are subject to random drug testing pursuant to the Secretarial Directive governing Personnel Drug Testing. Medical marijuana usage as defined in Amendment 93 of the Arkansas Constitution prohibits Personnel in a Safety-Sensitive Position from the use of medical marijuana even if they are qualifying patient under the amendment and/or hold a registry identification card. Department Personnel are prohibited from the use or possession of a medicinal marijuana card pursuant to this policy and state law.
Position Information
Job Series: Corrections Programs - Independent
Classification: Accreditation Specialist
Class Code: SCP01I
Pay Grade: SGS03
Salary Range: $39171 - $57973
Job Summary
The Accreditation Specialist within the Arkansas Department of Corrections is responsible for ensuring that the department and its facilities maintain compliance with national and state accreditation standards. This includes coordinating the accreditation process managing documentation conducting internal audits and ensuring that policies and practices align with best practices in corrections. The Accreditation Specialist works closely with senior leadership to maintain or achieve accredited status fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This position requires a high level of detail-oriented work strong organizational skills and an understanding of correctional facility operations and standards.
Primary Responsibilities
Leads and coordinates the accreditation process for the Arkansas Department of Corrections and its facilities. This includes gathering and organizing documentation ensuring that all necessary policies and procedures are in place and submitting required reports for national and state ongoing compliance with accreditation standards set by national organizations such as the American Correctional Association (ACA) and ensures that all facilities meet or exceed the required criteria. Identifies areas for improvement and assists facilities in addressing regular internal audits and inspections of the departments facilities to assess adherence to accreditation audit reports and works with facility management to address non-compliance issues or potential areas for develops and recommends policy revisions to ensure compliance with accreditation with department leadership to implement any necessary changes to internal procedures and training to staff at all levels on accreditation standards compliance requirements and internal audit improvements to internal systems and processes based on audit results and feedback from accreditation as the primary liaison between the Arkansas Department of Corrections and accrediting organizations ensuring timely and effective site visits and ensures that external reviewers have the necessary information and access to assess compliance.
Knowledge and Skills
Extensive knowledge of accreditation standards and processes particularly those related to the correctional field (e.g. ACA state and federal regulations).Knowledge of correctional facility operations including security inmate management and rehabilitation with audit and compliance processes in a governmental or correctional in conducting audits inspections and assessments with an eye for detail and in using office software (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite Excel) and specialized accreditation management to analyze complex information and apply accreditation standards to improve facility to develop and deliver training programs to educate staff on accreditation standards and compliance requirements.
Minimum Qualifications
A bachelors degree from an accredited college or university in Criminal Justice Public Administration Business Administration or a related field. A minimum of one year of experience in a role related to corrections compliance auditing or accreditation including experience in managing or supporting the accreditation process.
Licensure/Certifications
N/AOTHER JOB RELATED EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE MAY BE SUBSTITUTED FOR ALL OR PART OF THESE BASIC REQUIREMENTS EXCEPT FOR CERTIFICATION OR LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS UPON APPROVAL OF THE QUALIFICATIONS REVIEW COMMITTEE.
The State of Arkansas is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race color religion sex pregnancy age disability citizenship national origin genetic information military or veteran status or any other status or characteristic protected by law.
Required Experience:
Unclear Seniority
Accreditation Specialist
