By Robert Harding
The Citizen, Auburn, N.Y.
AUBURN, N.Y. — Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck credited his staff for achieving a major milestone: accreditation for the county jail.
The sheriff’s office, which oversees the jail, initiated the review through the New York State Sheriffs’ Association. The organization’s corrections accreditation process measures jails based on 166 standards. An outside board of assessors is tasked with the examination.
Peter Kehoe, executive director of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, told the Cayuga County Legislature at its meeting Tuesday that the jail met or exceeded every standard.
“This is a significant achievement,” Kehoe said.
The accreditation has many benefits, Kehoe explained. It not only improves operations and performance, but it boosts morale among staff and reduces lawsuits and insurance costs. It also increases public confidence in their institutions, he added.
Securing the accreditation is not an easy feat. Kehoe said that only 33 county jails are accredited in New York.
“It shows, I think, the pursuit of excellence by your sheriff and your sheriff’s staff in the operation of your county jail,” he said.
Schenck praised the staff, especially Capt. John Mack, who leads the agency’s custody division.
“This is yet another example of just incredible work being done by a lot of great people within our county government, certainly within our sheriff’s office (and) within our jail,” Schenck said.
After Kehoe presented Schenck with a plaque recognizing the jail’s accreditation, legislators lauded the sheriff’s office for its work.
Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Jonathan Anna noted that it was a multi-year process to obtain the accreditation.
“I believe it’s a testament to the dedication and hard work of you and your staff,” Anna, I-Sterling, told Schenck.
—
© 2025 The Citizen, Auburn, N.Y.
Visit www.auburnpub.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.