CLEVELAND — After years of problems at Cuyahoga County Jail, including abuse, suicides, lawsuits, accidental releases, and leadership issues, the county’s corrections center has received accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC).
Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish said in a news release that the accreditation comes after experts in the fields of health care and corrections conducted "a third-party objective assessment of facilities."
In 2019, Cuyahoga County and partnered with MetroHealth to address the health needs of individuals inside the jail.
“This is a huge accomplishment by our care team and our organization,” said MetroHealth President and CEO Akram Boutros, in the news release. “We have worked collaboratively with Cuyahoga County leadership to dramatically improve outcomes for some of the most vulnerable members of our community by providing excellent, compassionate, and respectful care.”
To receive the accreditation, the county had to demonstrate full compliance in all 38 essential standards and at least 17 of the 19 relevant important standards.
Essential standards include access to care, medical autonomy, monitoring of suicidal ideation and withdrawal, and regular administrative meetings, among others.
Among the cited improvements to healthcare cited by the county, Budish said the salary for correction officers increased to $24.48 per hour, the opening of the new Diversion Center, which has served over 550 individuals to date, and measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic by reducing the population, among others.
“Significant time, money, and resources have been devoted to these improvement efforts – all of which have dramatically enhanced health care options for these members of our community," Budish said.
In 2018, News 5 shared numerous stories about what a U.S. Marshals report called "one of the worst jails in the country." The scathing inspection detailed "inhumane conditions," understaffing, and inmate overpopulation at the county jail.
RELATED: Continuing County Jail coverage
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