To be eligible for certification, an agency must be part of a governmental entity or conform to the applicable Federal, State, and local laws regarding corporate existence. An agency wishing to participate in the certification process receives an information package from the American Correctional Association and is then assigned a regional administrator and an accreditation manager. During their correspondent status, the agencies complete a self-assessment of their operation as well as a self-evaluation report. Candidate status, which continues for up to 12 months, begins with acceptance of the agency's self-evaluation report; during these 12 months, the agency must meet the required levels of compliance, be audited by a visiting committee, and be awarded or denied 3-year certification.