January 22, 2024 - Susanville, CA – Lassen County Sheriff's Office officials report that the Lassen County Jail has earned accreditation from the National 
Commission on Correctional Health Care by demonstrating compliance with NCCHC’s nationally recognized standards of care for correctional health services in jails. Accreditation recognizes Lassen County Jail’s commitment to providing quality health services for the incarcerated population.
To earn NCCHC accreditation, Lassen County Jail underwent a rigorous professional assessment in November 2022. During the assessment, a team of experienced physicians and experts in correctional health care surveyed the facility for compliance with jail-specific standards in several areas such as patient care and treatment, health promotion, safety and disease prevention, governance and administration, personnel and training, special needs and services, and medical-legal issues.
The Lassen County Jail is a Type 2 facility and has a maximum capacity of 228 inmates. The facility holds inmates pending arraignment, during trial and upon a sentence of commitment.
The facility conducted a full medical and custody policy review. The intake medical screening process was updated to meet the accreditation needs. There was also a thorough review of the process in hiring inmate workers in the facility. A training program was implemented for inmate workers to assist them with the proper skills to successfully complete tasks assigned to them.
"We have a constitutional obligation to provide health care to those incarcerated in our jail, and we are committed to doing so with innovation, excellence, and efficiency,” said Captain John McGarva “I would like to recognize the health care staff, custody staff, and leadership for their hard work and dedication on behalf of our patients.”
“I would particularly like to thank our health services provider Jessica Blacka for working so diligently with us to achieve accreditation. For nine years Wellpath has been our partner in delivering the high-quality care that accreditation now recognizes.”
For 45 years, NCCHC’s highly respected standards have provided guidance to help correctional health professionals and administrators improve the health of their incarcerated populations and the communities to which they return, increase efficiency of health services delivery, strengthen organizational effectiveness, and reduce the risk of adverse legal judgments. The consensus-based standards are developed in consultation with national experts in correctional health care, mental health, law, and corrections.
"In achieving NCCHC accreditation, Lassen County Jail has demonstrated its commitment to quality, standards-based correctional health care,” said Deborah Ross, CCHP, NCCHC chief executive officer. “Accreditation is a voluntary process, and we commend Lassen County Jail for successfully undertaking this challenge. The health of incarcerated people is a vitally important component of public health.”
About the National Commission on Correctional Health Care
The mission of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, is to improve the quality of health care in jails, prisons, and juvenile confinement facilities. NCCHC establishes standards for health services in correctional facilities, operates a voluntary accreditation program for institutions that meet those standards, produces, and disseminates resource publications, conducts educational conferences, and offers a certification program for correctional health professionals. NCCHC is supported by the major national organizations representing the fields of health, mental health, law, and corrections. Each of those organizations has named a liaison to the NCCHC board of representatives to create a robust, multidisciplinary governing structure that reflects the complexities of correctional health care.
Source: Lassen County Sheriff's Office
