The Anne Arundel County Department of Detention Facilities has earned accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) after demonstrating compliance with nationally recognized standards for healthcare services in correctional facilities.

The voluntary accreditation follows a comprehensive assessment of the Jennifer Road Detention Center, where reviewers evaluated healthcare operations across a range of areas, including patient care, disease prevention, health promotion, governance, staff training, services for individuals with special needs, and medical-legal compliance.

“Providing compassionate, high-quality health care to those incarcerated in our jail is an obligation of ours,” said Superintendent Christopher Klein. “I am thankful for the health care staff and custody staff for their leadership and the NCCHC for their accreditation.”

According to NCCHC, accreditation recognizes correctional facilities that meet nationally established standards for delivering healthcare in jail and detention settings. The review process is voluntary and is intended to help facilities strengthen healthcare operations, improve organizational effectiveness, and reduce risk.

As counties continue balancing public safety responsibilities with the delivery of healthcare in correctional facilities, nationally recognized accreditation programs can provide an external benchmark for evaluating correctional health services and supporting continuous improvement.