Annapolis, MD (August 5, 2026) – Anne Arundel County Department of Detention Facilities 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.
To earn NCCHC accreditation, the Department of Detention Facilities underwent a rigorous professional assessment at Jennifer Road Detention Center in January 2026. 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.
"Providing compassionate, high-quality health care to those incarcerated in our jail is an obligation of ours,” said Christopher Klein, Anne Arundel County Department of Detention Facilities Superintendent. “I am thankful for the health care staff and custody staff for their leadership and the NCCHC for their accreditation.”
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, Anne Arundel County Department of Detention Facilities 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 Department of Detention Facilities 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.