The need for a set of national standards detailing minimum operational practices has long been recognized by officials responsible for the administration of local adult detention facilities. These facilities are unique to corrections for several reasons: they are operated most often by local jurisdictions rather than statewide agencies; they are usually operated by law enforcement officials rather than correctional administrators; their role as a secure facility for pretrial detainees is different from that of a long-term institution; and programs and services emphasize short-term detention and offender involvement with the community. The ACA standards are based on these unique features and are presented in five parts: (1) administration and management (fiscal management, personnel, training and staff development, case records and information systems, and citizen involvement and volunteers); (2) physical plant (building and safety codes, organization and location, inmate housing, environmental conditions, program and service areas, administrative and staff areas, and security); (3) institutional operations (security and control, safety and emergency procedures, rules and discipline, special management, and inmate rights); (4) institutional services (reception and orientation, classification, food service, sanitation and hygiene, health care, social services, and release); and (5) inmate programs (work and correctional industries, academic and vocational education, recreation, mail, telephone, visiting, library use, and religious programs). Supplemental information on the standards is appended.