Lake County jail earns reaccreditation

WAUKEGAN – The Lake County jail again 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.

Reaccreditation recognizes the Lake County jail’s ongoing commitment to providing quality health services for the incarcerated population. The Lake County jail was first accredited in 1998 and has maintained its commitment to meeting the requirements described in NCCHC’s standards for 25 years, according to a news release.

To maintain NCCHC accreditation, the Lake County jail underwent a rigorous professional assessment in July 2023. 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.

“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,” Sheriff John Idleburg said in the release. “Great work to our health care staff, correctional staff and leadership for their hard work and dedication.”

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 continuing to achieve NCCHC accreditation, the Lake 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 the Lake County jail for successfully maintaining this distinction. The health of incarcerated people is a vitally important component of public health.”