The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) accredits police agencies in the United States as well as in Canada. A private, nonprofit corporation, CALEA was founded in 1979 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriffs' Association, and the Police Executive Research Forum. Besides bestowing recognition on outstanding law enforcement agencies, accreditation confers such benefits as an improved, more effective administrative system; reduced liability potential; greater supervisory accountability; and greater governmental and community support. The commission is composed of 21 volunteer commissioners, 11 of whom are practicing law enforcement executives; the other 10 members represent a cross-section of the non-law enforcement community, including public officials, educators, and business leaders. Each commissioner is appointed to a 3-year, renewable term by the founding organizations. Six major topics are addressed by accreditation standards: agency role and responsibilities, organization and administration, personnel administration, operations and support, prisoner and court-related issues, and auxiliary and technical services. Standards applicable to a given agency are based on its law enforcement mission and size. The heart of the accreditation process is the "self-assessment" phase, in which the agency measures its efforts against each standard and prepares a brief file that documents compliance. The on-site assessment is the test of the agency's work. To ensure quality assessments, the reviewed agency is allowed to critique the assessment team. Fairness is enhanced by a seldom-used appeals procedure.