Douglas County Jail wins honors for inmate care

The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) has awarded the Douglas County Sheriff's Office for maintaining the "Custodial Facility of the Year."

Their jail was selected for the prestigious award from over 500 jails and prisons across the country.

DCSO representatives attended the NCCHC ceremony to pick up their award.

NCCHC's origins date to the early 1970s, when a study of jails and prisons across the nation revealed inadequate and unsystematic inmate custodial care 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.

NCCHC sets standards for custodial care, provides technical assistance, conducts facility inspections, and certifies only those correctional facilities that meet or exceed their strict guidelines and requirements. Their standards also cover all aspects of inmate care; such as booking, feeding, clothing, housing, exercise, disciplinary processes, medical care, psychological care, suicide prevention, access to religious and spiritual resources, alcohol/drug addiction, and substance abuse withdrawal protocols.

The program requires monthly training by all DCSO jail staff and an annual recertification by contracted medical staff, consisting of Physician J. Holman (MD), Psychiatrist J. McEllistrem (PHD), and Nurses S. Dixon and P. Brown.
The achievement is due in large part to the efforts of Sergeant Amy Savage, a 16 year veteran with the Sheriff’s Office, who spearheaded training, recommended changes in policies and procedures, and coordinated facility inspections to meet the strict NCCHC standards.