DeKalb County Jail Receives Continued Accreditation For Inmate Medical Services

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — The DeKalb County Jail has received continued accreditation for inmate medical services after a recent review of its operations, according to a news release.

The National Commission on Correctional Health (NCCHC) is the private nongovernmental association that grants public recognition to detention and correctional institutions that meet its nationally accepted standards. DeKalb County Jail inmate medical costs represented 18 percent of the agency’s annual operating budget in the 2021 fiscal year, according to the release.

The DeKalb County Jail, an adult detention center, provides medical services to more than 1,500 male and female inmates. Those services include a 24-hour medical and mental health infirmary, a clinic, a separate chronic care housing unit, in-house dialysis, and basic dental services. Also on-site are a pharmacy, nutritionist, x-ray, and ultrasound capabilities. At booking, inmates are medically-assessed and become eligible for appropriate preventive, maintenance, and emergency medical care.

“We are committed to providing quality health care for individuals in our custody,” said Sheriff Melody M. Maddox in a statement. “Accreditation by the NCCHC assures us that we are accomplishing that goal and meeting the highest standards in the industry.”

The DeKalb Sheriff’s Office has been continuously reaccredited by NCCHC since 2002, and also holds “Triple Crown” status for continuous accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and the American Correctional Association (ACA).