Health Care Accreditation In Jails Reduces Inmate Deaths By 93%

Jails accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) had a 93% lower monthly death rate than jails without NCCHC accreditation. There were a total of three deaths per month in the accredited jails and 27 deaths per month in the non-accredited jails. The difference was noted in an analysis of data from 44 jails with daily populations between 100 and 3,000 inmates; half the jails gained NCCHC accreditation and half remained unaccredited.

The accredited jails had a decreased monthly death rate without hiring more staff, without a change in health care provider organizations, and without . . .