What Standards and Certifications Govern Care at Val Verde Correctional Facility

Val Verde Correctional Facility says its core services - medical care, food service, laundry, and general living conditions - follow standards required by the State of Texas and federal guidelines. Translation: these basics are supposed to meet a defined baseline, not be handled informally or case-by-case. This matters because these areas directly affect your loved one's health and safety. If you have a concern, frame your questions around those categories (medical, meals, hygiene/laundry, living conditions) and ask which standard or guideline the facility is applying.

The facility also notes that the existing Val Verde County Jail is certified by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. This certification means an outside body sets expectations and reviews whether the jail meets them - rather than the jail grading itself.

Val Verde Correctional Facility reports achieving American Correctional Association (ACA) accreditation and was reaccredited in 2024 with a score of 100%. ACA accreditation shows a facility has been measured against established correctional standards through a formal review process. What does "accredited" mean for your loved one? The facility is pointing to a recognized corrections program as its operational benchmark. That won't answer every specific question - like how quickly sick-call requests get handled - but it tells you which framework the facility claims to follow.

Val Verde is operated by The GEO Group, Inc. (GEO), so some standards families hear about are corporate-level programs GEO applies across its facilities. GEO describes a Quality Control Program using internal and external audits, plus reporting requirements, to check operations against accreditation and certification guidelines. The company points to frameworks including ACA accreditation, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) compliance and certification, and - for immigration processing centers - the DHS Performance-Based National Detention Standards. GEO's Global Human Rights Policy spells out who must follow it: all GEO employees and subsidiaries worldwide, plus directors, contractors, suppliers, and third parties working at GEO facilities. The key point for families? GEO says oversight extends beyond uniformed staff - vendors and contractors inside the facility are covered too.

GEO also cites a training baseline: all GEO field staff receive a minimum of 40 hours of training per year, including training on GEO's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and its Global Human Rights Policy. What does that mean in practice? Staff are supposed to be trained regularly, with that training tied to conduct rules and human-rights commitments. It won't tell you how any single incident will be handled, but it does tell you what GEO says employees are taught to follow.