The Gold Standard: How One Firm Is Redefining Jail Healthcare

BIRMINGHAM, AL – December 02, 2025 – In an industry often defined by crisis and constitutional challenges, a new benchmark for excellence is emerging from an unlikely place: America's county jails. This year, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) bestowed its highest honor, the Pinnacle Award, upon two more facilities—Clackamas County Jail in Oregon and Pima County Adult Detention Complex in Arizona. The common thread between them is their partnership with NaphCare, a correctional healthcare provider that has now guided five of the six facilities ever to receive this award.

This achievement is not merely a collection of trophies. It signals a significant shift in a sector grappling with soaring rates of mental illness, a devastating opioid epidemic, and chronic underfunding. By achieving the rigorous “triple accreditation” in health services, mental health, and opioid treatment programs (OTP) required for the Pinnacle Award, these facilities are demonstrating a model that experts say can dramatically improve health outcomes, reduce deaths, and even lower recidivism.

“We are incredibly proud of all our partner facilities who have achieved the remarkable distinction of a Pinnacle Award,” said Brad McLane, Chief Executive Officer of NaphCare, in a statement. “These awards reflect the dedication and excellence of our collaborative teams... With five facilities now earning this distinguished recognition under our partnership, we continue to lead the industry in helping correctional facilities achieve the highest standards of care.”

The Rigor and Impact of Accreditation

The NCCHC Pinnacle Award is more than a plaque on a wall; it represents adherence to a demanding set of national standards. The accreditation process involves multi-day audits by external experts who evaluate everything from governance and patient safety to staffing and specialized care. For a facility to earn the Pinnacle Award, it must prove excellence across general medicine, mental healthcare, and addiction treatment—a trifecta that addresses the most acute needs of the incarcerated population.

The impact of meeting these standards is profound. A recent Harvard University study that evaluated 44 U.S. jails found that NCCHC accreditation was linked to a staggering 93% reduction in mortality during the six months following an onsite audit. Furthermore, the study found that individuals released from accredited facilities were 64% less likely to return to the same jail within three months. This suggests that better healthcare behind bars is not just a matter of humane treatment, but a critical component of successful public safety and community reintegration strategies.

Achieving this level of care is a monumental task. Jails and prisons are the de facto largest providers of mental healthcare in the United States, with studies showing that roughly two in five incarcerated individuals have a history of mental illness. Suicide remains the leading cause of death in local jails. Against this backdrop, NaphCare's repeated success in guiding its partners to triple accreditation—starting with Hillsborough County, Florida, in 2021—highlights a replicable methodology for transforming care in these challenging environments.

A Proactive Model for Public Health Crises

Central to this success is a proactive care model that leverages technology and evidence-based programs to address health issues at intake. Rather than reacting to emergencies, the approach focuses on early identification of medical, mental health, and substance withdrawal risks. This is particularly crucial in tackling the opioid epidemic.

At the Washoe County Detention Facility in Nevada, a 2024 Pinnacle Award recipient, the NaphCare partnership has enabled the expansion of a comprehensive Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) program. As the only detention center in Nevada certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for a jail-based OTP, the facility can immediately begin treating individuals with opioid use disorder, mitigating the severe risks of withdrawal and reducing the likelihood of a fatal overdose upon release—a period when tolerance is low. The results are compelling: the one-year recidivism rate for MAT participants at the facility is 29.1%, significantly lower than the national average of 45.8%.

This proactive stance extends to mental health. In addition to robust screening, facilities are implementing specialized units to manage acute psychiatric crises. At Washoe County, the THRIVE program creates a dedicated environment for patients with serious mental illness, offering individual and group therapy to stabilize them. Similarly, Hillsborough County's award-winning Mental Health Stabilization Unit (MHSU) uses an open-bay, self-governed community model to provide treatment without confinement, incentivizing participation in therapeutic programs.

The Technology and Business of Better Care

Underpinning these clinical programs is a sophisticated digital infrastructure. NaphCare developed its own corrections-specific Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, TechCare, designed to manage the complex documentation and workflows of a correctional environment. This system is integrated with a patient-facing portal, MyCare, which allows incarcerated individuals to access their health information, request appointments, and review educational materials via secure tablets. This digital engagement is a key part of creating a proactive care environment, empowering patients in a setting where they traditionally have little agency.

This fusion of clinical expertise and proprietary technology forms the core of a public-private partnership model that is gaining traction. Government agencies contract with providers like NaphCare to manage costs, transfer legal liability, and import specialized expertise that is difficult to develop in-house. While the correctional healthcare market is competitive, NaphCare's consistent accreditation success serves as a powerful differentiator.

The financial stakes are enormous. State and local governments spend billions annually on inmate healthcare, a figure that continues to rise with an aging population and the complexity of their health needs. By implementing efficient, technology-driven systems and focusing on preventative care, the company argues its model can reduce downstream costs from emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and litigation stemming from inadequate care. For county sheriffs and administrators, this presents a compelling value proposition: a way to meet their constitutional mandate for care while managing budgets and improving public health outcomes for the communities they serve.