The Lake County Jail’s medical unit recently was approved for reaccreditation by a national organization that monitors the quality of health care provided to inmates in correctional facilities nationwide.
Since 1985, the jail has received accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, a Chicago-based non-profit group that administers a voluntary accreditation program that establishes health-care standards for correctional facilities, said Lt. Fred Heidecke of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.
Charles DeFilippo, the jail’s director, said the annual review allows jail officials to “provide quality medical services to inmates while reducing cost and liability factors.”
Once an institution is accredited, a commission representative visits its housing units every three years and speaks with inmates and medical professionals to ensure that health needs are being met, commission officials said.
To maintain accreditation, an institution also must respond to an annual commission survey, officials said.