The Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center has again earned accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care by demonstrating compliance with NCCHC’s nationally recognized standards of care for health services for youths in detention and confinement facilities.
Reaccreditation recognizes Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center’s ongoing commitment to providing quality health services for this special population. Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center was first accredited in 2013 and has maintained its commitment to meeting the requirements described in NCCHC’s standards.
To maintain NCCHC accreditation, the Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center underwent a rigorous professional assessment this August of 2023. During the assessment, a team of experienced physicians and experts in correctional health care surveyed the facility for compliance with youth-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 legal and ethical obligation to provide health care to the youths in our care, and we are committed to doing so with innovation, excellence, and efficiency,” said Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center Superintendent Ryan Breedlove. “We are fortunate for the health care staff, Youth Development Specialists, and leadership for their hard work and dedication on behalf of the residents of the Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center.”
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 juvenile health care, mental health, law, and corrections.
"In continuing to achieve NCCHC accreditation, the Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center 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 Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center for successfully maintaining this distinction. Providing appropriate health care to young people can positively impact the direction of their lives.”
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.