The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) is an independent,

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

dedicated to improving the

standard of care In tort law, the standard of care is the only degree of prudence and caution required of an individual who is under a duty of care. The requirements of the standard are closely dependent on circumstances. Whether the standard of care has been b ...

in the field of correctional

health care Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. With support from the major national organizations representing the fields of health, law and

corrections In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies, and involving the punishment, treatment, and su ...

, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care is committed to improving the quality of

jails A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

prisons A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correcti ...

, and juvenile confinement facilities. NCCHC's origins date to the early 1970s, when an

American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016. The AMA's state ...

study of jails found inadequate, disorganized health services and a lack of national standards. In collaboration with other organizations, the AMA established a program that in the early 1980s became the NCCHC, which is now supported by the major national organizations representing the fields of health, law, and corrections. It sets standards, provides education and technical assistance, and certifies correctional health professionals. NCCHC's leadership in setting standards for health services and improving health care in correctional facilities is widely recognized, affecting over 11 million people who are released from correctional facilities each year. The standards have helped the nation's correctional and detention facilities improve the health of their inmates and the communities to which they return; increase the efficiency of their health services delivery; and strengthen their organizational effectiveness.

Accreditation and certification

NCCHC offers voluntary health services accreditation program to correctional facilities. The process uses external peer reviews to determine whether correctional institutions meet national standards in their provision of health services. NCCHC also offers certification programs to individual correctional health care workers in the form of Certified Correctional Health Professional (CCHP).

References

External links

* Medical and health organizations based in Illinois Prison healthcare {{US-health-org-stub