In late 1984 the Commission created a standards development unit, which started by assessing standards promulgated between 1976 and 1978 for local police lockups, county jails, and State prisons. It found that existing county jail standards did not accurately reflect existing case law and legislative actions and did not provide correctional administrators with adequate guidance on many operational issues. It identified 44 topic areas for the standards and established a lengthy and comprehensive process for developing and reviewing them. The process includes field testing, which may indicate the need for revision in a draft standard. The Commission has also established a training process to inform correctional administrators about the standards and the ways to implement them. The standards project emphasizes involvement by the Commission's staff and by people outside the agency, builds linkages between agencies and organizations, and provides mechanisms for field testing, training, monitoring, and ongoing evaluation.