HEALTHCARE 2026 I VOLUME 29 | NUMBER 6
HEALTHCARE DELIVERY The Intersection of Public Health and Public Safety
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Flexible Modular Solutions for Behavioral Healthcare
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Sustainability and Security Shape the New Pueblo County Detention Center
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Rapid City Correctional Facility Marks a New Chapter in South Dakota’s Approach to Women’s Corrections
Willoughby Draws on Stakeholder Input to Advance Safer, More Normalized Environments
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The Pueblo County Detention Center in Colorado Serves as Modern Example for Justice Design
How One Provider is Helping Build a More Sustainable Correctional Healthcare Model
New Crisis Diversion Center Reflects Trend Toward Treatment-focused Alternatives to Detention
SEPTEMBER 2026
HEALTHCARE
COVER IMAGE: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Centurion
Next Edition: Technology: November 2026 Editorial Deadline: 10/19/2026 Ad Deadline: 11/9/2026 Contact: sarah@wmhmedia.com
2026 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Amy L. Ast...................................................................... Director, Ohio Department of Youth Services Jeff Beard, Ph.D. ........................................................... Former Secretary of Corrections for California and Pennsylvania Bryan Collier................................................................. Former Executive Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice Nicholas Deml.............................................................. Nunez Remediation Manager, New York City Jail System Jeff Dunn........................................................................ Former Commissioner, Alabama Department of Corrections Jared Garcia................................................................. Executive Director, Utah Department of Corrections Todd Ishee..................................................................... Former Secretary, North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Edwardo Jackson.......................................................... Captain, Travis County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office Rob Jeffreys................................................................... Director, Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Patrick “Pat” Labat........................................................ Sheriff, Fulton County, Ga. Shawn Laughlin............................................................. Former Commander, Broomfield Detention Center Marc Levin..................................................................... Chief Policy Counsel, Council on Criminal Justice Brian Lovins, Ph.D......................................................... Principal, Justice System Partners Bobby Lumpkin............................................................. Executive Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice Kelly A. Martinez.......................................................... Sheriff, San Diego County Daniel F. Martuscello III...............................................Commissioner, N.Y. State Dept. of Corrections & Community Supervision Larome Myrick, Ph.D.................................................... Executive Director, Rhode Island DCYF Ashley Oddo................................................................. Deputy Director, ADCRR Tyrone Oliver................................................................. Commissioner, Georgia Department of Corrections Shawanda Reynolds-Cobb......................................... Commissioner, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice Wayne Salisbury.......................................................... Director, Rhode Island Department of Corrections Cory Salzillo................................................................. Managing Partner, WPSS Group Eric Strauss.................................................................... Director, Montana Department of Corrections Nneka Jones Tapia, Psy.D............................................ Managing Director for Justice Initiatives, Chicago Beyond Josh Tewalt.................................................................... Former Director, Idaho Department of Correction Felice Upton.................................................................. Former Asst. Secretary, Juvenile Rehabilitation, Washington DCYF Tim Ward....................................................................... Former Commissioner, Georgia Department of Corrections
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 6 7 8 11 14 16 18 19 22 26 27 29 32 33 34 37 40 44 46 49 51 54 55
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS HEALTHCARE DESIGN DIRECTOR’S REPORT MEDICAL UNIT STANDARDS HEALING SPACES MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT INNOVATION CORNER MODULAR HEALTHCARE EVIDENCE-BASED DESIGN FACILITY OF THE MONTH HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS SAFETY & WELLNESS SPECIAL POPULATIONS STANDOUT PRODUCTS NEWS MENTAL & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH JUVENILE JUSTICE UPDATE PROGRAMMING CORRECTIONAL HEALTHCARE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION FUNDING & LEGISLATION PUBLIC SAFETY NEWS ACA STANDARDS
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PEOPLE IN THE NEWS EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Correctional News is pleased to announce the addition of Eric Strauss, Director of the Montana Department of Corrections, to the Editorial Advisory Board. Director Strauss joined S t rau ss the Montana Department of Corrections in 2024 as the Deputy Director and was appointed by Gov. Greg Gianforte to serve as Director of the department in 2026. Prior to joining the Montana DOC, Strauss spent almost nine years working as an administrator for the Employment Standards Division at the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. Before that, he held the position of Director of Organizational Excellence at St. Peter’s Hospital. Director Strauss holds a Master of Arts in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Montana. A/E/C ModCorr has appointed Eric Kishel as Executive Vice President, adding a longtime construction and infrastructure leader to its executive team as the company continues to grow in the justice and K i she l infrastructure sectors. Kishel brings more than 40 years of experience in construction and infrastructure, including more than 30 years in executive leadership in senior roles such as President and Principal. ModCorr said that Kishel’s background spans strategic planning, operations management, business development, risk mitigation, preconstruction services and organizational development. According to ModCorr, Kishel has led major construction firms that generated more than $150 million in annual revenue and managed teams of more than 300 professionals. His project portfolio includes work for the Department of Homeland Security, NAVFAC, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FDOT, NASA, Disney, Universal Studios, Huntington Ingalls Industries, CSX Transportation, major U.S. port authorities and multiple state transportation agencies. STV has named Codi M. Newsom, PE, LEED AP, as Vice President and Justice Market Pursuit Leader within the firm’s national buildings group, adding another senior leader to support the company’s growth strategy N ewsom in the justice sector. In the new role, Newsom will help guide capture strategy for major justice and public-safety pursuits nationwide, with an emphasis on complex correctional, rehabilitation and community-based projects. STV said that Newsom will also align planning, design and delivery teams as the firm pursues larger justice programs across the country. Her work will center on strengthening client relationships and expanding the pipeline for highvalue opportunities in correctional and related public safety markets. Newsom brings more than 20 years of 4 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
experience leading justice and public safety work for public-sector clients. Her background includes major capital initiatives for correctional systems and local agencies, work with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, net-zero-energy correctional facilities and multimillion-dollar programs involving complex stakeholder and funding environments. GFT has appointed David McRoberts, CPP, as its new Principal Advisor for Justice Systems, Operations & Public Safety Infrastructure. In his new role, McRoberts will work closely on all Mc R o b er ts aspects of facility design and operational support, beginning with opportunity identification, qualification and procurement. He will serve as a client advocate, advisor, subject-matter expert, and constant resource for design professionals throughout the process and support staff training. Prior to this appointment, McRoberts worked for GFT as a Security and Operations Specialist on a full spectrum of projects, from large federal projects to smaller local facilities. McRoberts is a retired sheriff’s captain and jail administrator from the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department in Wisconsin. He previously served as an independent consultant through his own company, Assured Assessments Inc., where he provided expert guidance to clients on corrections, law enforcement and public safety facility design. Prior to his consulting work, he collaborated with design professionals at L.R. Kimball, identifying opportunities and supporting clients throughout the design process for correctional, justice and public safety facilities nationwide. McRoberts is a member of Correctional News’ Industry Knowledge Council, as well as an Advisory Board Member with the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA). CORRECTIONAL PROFESSIONALS Maine Department of Corrections Commissioner Randall A. “Randy” Liberty will retire Oct. 1 after more than four decades in corrections, law enforcement and the military. As commissioner, Liberty L i b er t y helped implement the Maine Model, emphasizing rehabilitation, human dignity and community reintegration. His tenure prioritized education, vocational training, substance use treatment and staff wellness. Liberty served as Warden of the Maine State Prison from 2015 to 2019 after more than 26 years with the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, including nine as elected sheriff. A 24-year military veteran and Bronze Star recipient, he also championed programming for incarcerated veterans, including a Veterans Unit that trains service dogs for disabled veterans. Deputy Commissioner Anthony Cantillo will serve as acting commissioner. Cantillo joined the department in 2013 and became Deputy Commissioner in 2023. Spotlight a person by contacting us at cn@wmhmedia.com
The Correctional Leaders Association announced its newly elected Executive Board during the CLA Summer Conference in Pittsburgh. The newly elected members include President Lindsay Wallace Wallace, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Corrections, and Vice President Bobby Lumpkin, Executive Director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Dr. Laurel Harry, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Lumpk in Department of Corrections, will remain on the board in her role as Treasurer. The CLA membership also approved former agency leaders as Associate Members, including Angel Quiros of the Connecticut Department of Correction, Annette Chambers-Smith Harr y of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, John Hamm of the Alabama Department of Corrections, Wayne Salisbury of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, and Ricky Dixon of the Florida Department of Corrections. IN MEMORIAM Robert “Bob” Matthews, Vice President of Marketing for Correct RX Pharmacy Services for more than 12 years and a longtime member of the correctional community, died in early August. M a t thews Matthews was a U.S. Marshal for two years, during which time he received the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service. Following that, he served the Federal Bureau of Prisons for nearly 30 years in key leadership roles, including Warden of the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kan., and at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta. He later served as Western and Southeast Regional Director of the federal prison system and was appointed Assistant Director of the Program Review Division in Washington, D.C. He studied sociology at Florida A&M University before earning a master’s degree in criminology from Indiana State University. Matthews will be remembered by many in the industry as a respected leader, mentor, advocate and friend. CALENDAR CLA Deputy Directors & Probation and Parole Conference Palm Springs, Calif., Sept. 29-Oct. 2 NCCHC National Conference on Correctional Healthcare Las Vegas, Oct. 24-28 ICPA 2026 Annual Conference Belfast, Northern Ireland, Oct. 25-30
HEALTHCARE DESIGN
Where Public Health Meets Public Safety
What healthcare design can teach us about modern justice facilities By Codi Newsom, PE, LEED AP For decades, justice facility planning centered on security, operational efficiency and durability. Those priorities remain essential, but the growing intersection of healthcare and corrections is prompting a broader conversation about the role of the built environment. Increasingly, facility owners are asking how design can better support the people who use these spaces and the staff who operate them, discovering that healthcare and justice facilities have more in common than they first appear. Across STV’s work, that evolution takes different forms. Whether planning intake and assessment environments in justice facilities or designing behavioral health settings that support recovery and staff effectiveness, a common set of questions often emerges: • How can design reduce stress? • How can it support better decision-making? • How can it create conditions that enable care, safety and operational performance to work together?
The New Front Door to Care For many individuals, the first point of contact with the justice system has also become a critical point of contact with care. In hospitals, behavioral health centers and other treatment environments, the moments immediately following arrival are designed to gather information, identify needs, establish priorities and connect individuals with appropriate
The Adult Behavioral Health Center at Bronx Psychiatric Center demonstrates how daylight, visibility and thoughtful spatial organization can support communication, reduce stress and improve operational effectiveness.
services. Many justice agencies recognize that intake serves a similar function, particularly for people entering custody with complex medical, behavioral health or substance-use needs. This shift in thinking is evident at facilities such as the Macomb County Central Intake and Assessment Center (CIAC) in Michigan, the Baltimore Therapeutic Treatment Center and the Borough-Based Jails Program in New York City, where intake, assessment and behavioral-health services are more closely integrated to support early intervention and treatment planning. By strengthening connections among assessment, treatment and care coordination, facilities can better identify needs, connect individuals with
appropriate services and support more informed decision-making from the outset. Viewed through this lens, intake is more than the beginning of a person’s journey through the justice system. Just as healthcare providers recognize the importance of the initial patient experience, justice agencies increasingly view intake as an opportunity to improve outcomes, enhance safety and support continuity of care.
When Design Shapes Behavior Behavioral health facilities have long recognized that the physical environment influences how people experience stress, process information and engage with care. As a result, designers place significant emphasis on elements such as daylight, acoustics and privacy, recognizing their impact on communication, emotional regulation and overall experience. Observations from STV’s work at the Bronx Psychiatric Center and the South Beach Psychiatric Center Residential Building in Staten Island reinforced these themes. Natural light fostered orientation and stability, while acoustic considerations supported communication and concentration. Privacy, whether visual or psychological, helped preserve dignity during assessments, treatment and family interactions. Although healthcare and justice facilities serve different populations and missions, both often serve people experiencing stress, uncertainty, behavioral health challenges or significant life disruptions. In both settings, environmental conditions can influence how individuals engage with services and how staff carry out their responsibilities. That overlap is increasingly shaping justice facility design. At the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women, STV incorporated abundant daylight, access to outdoor space, and integrated medical, behavioral health and rehabilitative programming as part of a campus designed to support well-being and successful reentry. The project demonstrates how design principles commonly associated with healthcare environments can be adapted to a correctional setting, balancing security and operational requirements while fostering safety, rehabilitation and human dignity.
Supporting Those Who Provide Care While the settings may differ, many of the challenges faced by healthcare professionals mirror those experienced by correctional staff. Nurses, clinicians and behavioral health providers routinely work in environments that demand constant awareness, rapid decisionmaking and the ability to respond calmly during crises. Correctional officers, case managers and healthcare professionals working in justice settings face many of those same demands. Designers increasingly recognize that
South Beach Psychiatric Center in Staten Island, N.Y., uses natural light, outdoor views and welcoming interiors to support stability, dignity and positive experiences for occupants and staff. Photo Credit (all): Courtesy of STV
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environmental conditions influence how staff perform in high-pressure settings. Excessive noise, poor visibility, inefficient workflows and limited opportunities to decompress can contribute to fatigue, stress and burnout. In correctional facilities, where coordination among custody staff, clinicians and medical providers The Iowa Correctional Institution for Women uses human-centered design to promote safety, well-being and successful reentry.
is increasingly critical, design decisions such as circulation, visibility and staff respite areas can improve communication, reduce operational friction and support employee well-being. As agencies continue to face recruitment and retention challenges, these strategies are becoming operational necessities rather than amenities — helping create safer, more effective and more sustainable workplaces. This approach informed the planning of the Macomb County CIAC, where staff amenities such as fitness areas, locker rooms and an outdoor courtyard will support employee well-being and operational effectiveness. Behavioral health environments offer a useful reminder that successful facilities are shaped not only by how they serve the people receiving care, but also by how well they support those providing it. Justice facilities have learned the same lesson.
A Common Thread At first glance, behavioral health and justice facilities may seem worlds apart. Yet both depend on environments that support effective communication, sound decision-making and positive outcomes for the people who use them and the staff who serve them. The future of justice facility design is not about making correctional environments look more like hospitals. It is about recognizing that both settings rely on many of the same human-centered principles. When facilities are designed to support staff performance, improve communication, reduce stress and facilitate access to services, they are better positioned to achieve their mission. Increasingly, healthcare design demonstrates that those outcomes are not competing priorities but complementary ones. Codi Newsom, PE, LEED AP, is Vice President and Justice Market Pursuit Leader for STV. This article was sponsored by STV. To learn more, visit www.stvinc.com.
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The Rapid City Correctional Facility features dedicated spaces for therapeutic programming. Photo Credit (all): South Dakota Department of Corrections
DIRECTOR’S
REPORT
Investing in Recovery, Resilience and Reentry
The Rapid City Correctional Facility marks a new chapter in South Dakota’s approach to women’s corrections By Nick Lamb The South Dakota Department of Corrections is taking an important step forward in our approach to women’s corrections with the opening of the new Rapid City Correctional Facility (RCCF). Scheduled to begin receiving women in September, the 300-bed facility was designed with a focus on treatment, education, employment and successful reentry. It includes two minimumsecurity housing units and one medium-security unit, with space for future expansion. The facility also includes a separate Mother-Infant Program unit with capacity for up to 12 mothers and 12 infants, along with designated areas for a greenhouse and sweat lodge. The need for a comprehensive approach is clear. According to the Department’s 2025 Statistical Report, South Dakota’s overall recidivism rate is 50%, with a 49% rate among women. Factors contributing to women’s involvement in the system often intersect with substance use, behavioral health, trauma, family responsibilities and other health-related needs. With the average sentence for a woman being less than one year, there is a limited window to connect women with meaningful treatment and programming. Rapid City was a strategic choice for the new women’s facility. As the second-largest
designed to address the unique needs of women in the correctional system.
Community Within Corrections A cornerstone of this vision is the facility’s Therapeutic Community unit, a highly structured, peer-driven treatment environment designed to help women address substance use and build the skills needed for long-term recovery. Rooted in national Therapeutic Community models, the program brings participants together to live and learn as a community, with peers playing a central role in the recovery process. Participants take on shared responsibilities, learn from one another and provide feedback and accountability, with personal responsibility, pro-social values and mutual support woven into the daily structure. The Therapeutic Community model is based on the understanding that substance use disorder affects the whole person. Lasting recovery requires individuals to address not only substance use, but also the thoughts, behaviors, values and emotions that can contribute to unhealthy choices. Through group participation, peer support and evidence-
based cognitive and behavioral approaches, women will learn to recognize unhealthy patterns, challenge distorted thinking and develop healthier ways of responding to challenges. The structured environment provides an opportunity to apply these skills in real-life interactions while receiving support and accountability from both peers and staff.
Gender- and Culture-Responsive Care While many health needs are shared across the incarcerated population, women may have additional considerations related to reproductive health, relationships and trauma. The new facility will build on the Department’s existing healthcare services while expanding access to care and resources that address the unique health and wellness considerations of women in custody. The approach to healthcare at RCCF will emphasize prevention and education alongside treatment. Women will have opportunities to learn more about nutrition, personal hygiene, See Director’s Report, page 12→
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Natural light is introduced throughout the facility, including in the housing unit dayrooms.
city in South Dakota, Rapid City provides increased access to employers, educational institutions and community resources. Developed under the leadership of former Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko, the vision for the new facility centered on expanding treatment and programming
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MEDICAL UNIT STANDARDS
How Healthcare Standards and Correctional Design Can Intersect ACA and FGI guidelines offer different approaches to patient space, daylight and privacy By Dave Redemske With more and more healthcare services being provided within correctional facilities, there has been increased discussion regarding referencing the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) guidelines
as a potential space standard for correctional health spaces. While not yet required within corrections, the FGI standard is a nationally recognized space standard for community-based healthcare facilities that is considered best practice and is a required standard for most states.
As of today, some 42 states have officially adopted one of the editions of the guidelines for planning, design and construction of health and residential care facilities. Specific editions that are enforced vary by state, though many jurisdictions currently operate either the 2018 or 2022 editions. Because states act as their own Authorities Having Jurisdiction, enforced rules can frequently change. However, organizations such as The Joint Commission also mandate compliance with the FGI standard, unless an individual state has stricter rules. Within corrections, the American Correctional Association (ACA) regulations are typically regarded as best practice with regard to the provision of space. But when it comes to correctional healthcare, there is limited specificity on the unique needs of this population. This article will look at the differences between the ACA and FGI standards, so that jurisdictions can assess which standard (or combination of both) is appropriate for their needs.
ROOM SIZE Per the ACA: Inmates should be provided a minimum of 25 square feet of unencumbered space per occupant. In addition, at least one dimension of the room
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Organizations such as The Joint Commission also mandate compliance with the FGI standard, unless an individual state has stricter rules. Photo Credit (all): Courtesy of Dave Redemske
should be no less than 7 feet. However, when confinement exceeds 10 hours a day, the space should be at least 80 square feet, 35 of which should be unencumbered. The ACA also makes it clear that there should be provisions for single-occupancy cells for
MEDICAL UNIT STANDARDS 1. Inmates with severe medical disabilities 2. Inmates suffering from serious mental illness
Per the FGI 2022: By contrast, the FGI guidelines require that the minimum size for a single-patient room should have 120 square feet of clear floor area. In reference to multi-bedded rooms, it requires that there is 100 square feet of clear floor area per patient. In addition to room size, the guidelines also require three feet of clearance at both sides and
For Behavioral Health Patient Rooms, the clear floor area requirement is 100 square feet for single-patient rooms and 80 square feet per patient in multi-patient rooms.
NATURAL LIGHT REQUIREMENTS
may have to be increased if codes require.
Per the FGI 2022: The FGI, on the other hand, requires that patients be able to access a toilet room without
Per the ACA: Inmates are required to have access to natural light by means of at least three square feet of transparent glazing, plus two additional square feet per inmate in rooms with three or more inmates. For dormitories, 12 square feet of transparent glazing is required, plus an additional two square feet per inmate in the dorm. It should be noted that the ACA allows the natural light in the cells to be borrowed, and it does not require that inmates have a direct view to the outside.
Per the FGI 2022: The FGI guidelines require that natural light is provided by means of a window to the outside. The window needs to be no less than 8% of the clear floor area of the room, and the window sill should be no higher than 36 inches above the finished floor. This is to ensure that patients have a direct and clear view to the outside.
PATIENT TOILETS The ACA makes it clear that there should be provisions for single-occupancy cells for inmates with severe medical disabilities and inmates suffering from serious mental illness.
the foot of the bed. In multi-patient rooms, it requires four feet of clearance at the foot to allow for the passage of patients and equipment.
Per the ACA: Inmates must have access to toilets and handwashing facilities 24 hours per day and can use toilet facilities without staff assistance when they are confined in their cells/sleeping areas. Toilets should be provided at a minimum ratio of one for every 12 inmates in male facilities and one for every eight inmates in female facilities. All housing units with three or more inmates must have a minimum of two toilets. These numbers
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According to the ACA guidelines, inmates should be provided a minimum of 25 square feet of unencumbered space per occupant.
having to enter a corridor — in essence, en-suite toilets. It also requires that a patient toilet room serves no more than one patient. It requires that patient toilet rooms include: 1. A toilet 2. A hand-washing station 3. A human-waste disposal system In addition, the ACA requires a separate clinician CONCRETE PRECAST sink in the patient room. It is required that this sink is separate and distinct from the patient sink. It requires that this clinician sink is located near the entrance to the room. In multi-patient rooms, it is also required that this sink is located outside of the patient’s cubicle curtains. STEEL MODULES As the analysis above shows, there can be a significant increase in patient room size, window size and patient toilet requirements when using the ACA or FGI standards. In addition, though not discussed in this article, there could be additional needs for ancillary DEC support spaces, power, emergency power, acoustic control, increased ventilation and air changes, medical gases, physiological monitoring or patient lifts, depending on the patient types that are being seen in the facility. Dave Redemske is an architect and correctional healthcare consultant.
HEALING SPACES
Designing for Healing in Correctional Environments By Hillary Morgan, AIA, NCARB and Clint Cassetty, AIA, NCARB Historically, correctional facilities were cold, institutional and not places that promoted healing. Over time, this trend has shifted, and today’s correctional healthcare spaces are being designed to foster recovery, transformation and independence. For many incarcerated individuals, imprisonment represents the first opportunity to receive comprehensive and consistent healthcare. Many arrive with untreated chronic illnesses, substance-use disorders, severe dental needs or unmanaged mental health conditions. As prisons and jails have increasingly become mental health care providers over the last several decades, incorporating trauma-informed, holistic design into correctional healthcare has become essential.
The Facility Footprint The design of these improved spaces begins with the footprint. In modern facilities, there are smaller housing units or communities, each with its own attached care units and exam rooms. Inmates are separated into these smaller units by classification, which determines the security needed. Having healthcare in each housing unit allows for more personalized care and less unnecessary interaction with unfamiliar environments that may trigger the patient. It also reduces the risk of traveling throughout the facility to receive care.
Ultimately, modern correctional healthcare facilities are designed much like traditional healthcare environments, just within a secure framework. Licensed physicians, nurses, dentists, mental health clinicians and numerous other health professionals deliver care around the clock to ensure needs are met. Designers work to create a space where the inmate doesn’t necessarily feel like they are receiving care in a correctional environment.
Complexity of Care As the incarcerated population ages, facilities must adapt to manage increasingly complex medical conditions. Specialized services such as dialysis are now integrated into many correctional healthcare programs. For this type of specialized treatment, equipment is supplied by dedicated providers and operated according to the same national standards governing community healthcare facilities. Moreover, throughout the last decade, correctional facilities have experienced a growing number of incarcerated individuals living with mental illnesses. Following the closure of many psychiatric hospitals in the 1960s and the continued shortage of accessible mental health services, prisons and jails have increasingly become institutions caring for those with mental health conditions. Because of this shift, designs are being changed to accommodate trauma-informed care, which considers a more complete picture of a patient’s life. High percentages of incarcerated individuals have extensive histories of physical, sexual or emotional trauma prior to incarceration. At the same time, they may have negative experiences with healthcare environments or professionals. Adopting trauma-informed care principles ensures that routine correctional procedures like searches, security checks and healthcare visits do not inadvertently re-traumatize patients or trigger behavioral crises.
Balancing Safety with Humanity Over time, correctional healthcare spaces are being designed to foster recovery, transformation and independence.
These modern footprints often include a larger main medical unit on the campus. Together, these facilities are prepared for everything from regular exams to emergency care situations and small procedures.
Not One-Size-Fits-All Security This shift toward rehabilitative care has transformed the way healthcare environments within correctional facilities are designed and built. One of the first questions stakeholders must answer when thinking about their healthcare space is: “What level of security is needed?” There is not a one-size-fits-all solution; it is a dynamic spectrum. Tailoring security levels to patients’ specific risk profiles — from minimum-security outpatient clinics to high-acuity behavioral-health units — is important. The ultimate design objective is to create an environment that feels safe, calm and conducive to healing without appearing overly clinical or hostile.
Providing medical and behavioral healthcare within a correctional facility presents the unique challenge of balancing safety standards with a therapeutic environment. Due to the population and the environment, there is always an inherent amount of risk that comes with offering healthcare inside prisons. To design for better outcomes, architects work to calm patients and provide them with a more normal experience. When safety controls such as direct staff supervision and secure double-locked medical cabinets are integrated, designers gain greater flexibility to create therapeutic spaces that are human-centered.
Critical Design Decisions Since most incarcerated individuals have significant histories of trauma, modern healthcare environments seek to do more than just look aesthetically pleasing. Healthcare spaces in correctional facilities are intentionally designed to deliver high-quality clinical care while actively promoting healing within a secure framework. To help bridge the gap between security and well-being, biophilic designs are common in these spaces, meaning that many design choices include nature, daylight or other natural materials, which
act to naturally soften the space. Incorporating natural daylight throughout a facility is proven to be beneficial. Having windows and being able to see outside, see the sun, and see the weather are helpful in calming patients and regulating their circadian rhythm. Calming lighting can be used in medical units as well. In design and application, this ensures that there are no sudden contrasts in lighting, and Ultimately, modern correctional healthcare facilities are designed much like traditional healthcare environments, just within a secure framework. Photo Credit (all): Courtesy of Goodwyn Mills Cawood
that warm lighting is used instead of harsh blue fluorescent lighting. For materials and finishes, natural and organic finishes are preferred to help soften the healthcare environment. Examples include solid-wood doors or durable materials that resemble natural materials but keep the areas secure. Furniture selection includes choosing softened furniture with welcoming designs, which is helpful to make the patient more comfortable and make the environment more appealing and serene. Color palettes can also change the feel of a space. Soft, neutral colors on the walls are proven to calm and create a softer environment. Controlling acoustics is vital to managing anxiety. Loud and abrupt noises can trigger patients. It’s important, especially in this environment, to limit unnecessary sounds and use materials that absorb sound well. Just as each of these design choices is integral to planning a medical unit at a correctional facility, they are equally essential in a hospital project of any scale. The principles of healthcare design remain fundamentally the same. Designing healthcare in correctional environments places an emphasis on safety and adds an additional layer of security.
Better Design Can Heal While these individual design choices may seem minimal, their cumulative impact can be profound. This type of environment can promote self-worth, lower trauma and alleviate stress. By treating health as an essential component of rehabilitation, modern correctional facilities support better behavioral outcomes for inmates and create safer conditions for staff. Good design and healthcare can influence individuals who wish to heal and help prepare them to successfully reenter society. Hillary Morgan is the Vice President of Justice Architecture for Goodwyn Mills Cawood. Clint Cassetty is the Healthcare Architecture Practice Leader for Goodwyn Mills Cawood. This article is sponsored by Goodwyn Mills Cawood. To learn more, visit www.gmcnetwork.com. www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026 | 11
DIRECTOR’S REPORT Director’s Report, from page 7 chronic disease management and healthy lifestyle choices, with an emphasis on helping them take an active role in their health. The facility also plans to introduce an annual wellness expo focused on providing practical health information and connecting women with community resources. Telemedicine and digital optometry services will further expand access to specialty and vision care. The new facility will also expand women’s access to behavioral health services, including
counseling, therapy and peer support. These services will help women better understand and manage their mental health, strengthen healthy coping skills and build resilience for challenges during both incarceration and reentry. We also recognize the importance of culturally responsive care, particularly given the significant representation of Native American offenders within South Dakota’s correctional population. The DOC is partnering with Indigenous groups in the state to bring in more Native programs
and Indigenous treatment methods, such as the Inipi sweat lodge ceremony, pow wows, sacred landbase education, crafts and hobbies that embrace individual culture, and the Oaye Luta Okolakiciye healing program, an Indigenous cultural ceremony approach to substance-use disorder healing, mental health management and issues encountered with a conditioned behavior environment. While there is no one-size-fits-all treatment program, there is a focus on the need to use more traditional Indigenous methods for the population.
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Creating a healthy environment for those in custody also begins with supporting the health and wellness of the staff who serve them. RCCF will be staffed by approximately 139 fulltime employees across facility administration, behavioral health, case management, maintenance, medical, nursing, dental and security. Staff wellness clubs serve essential purposes, from collecting funds for birthdays and sending get-well cards and flowers for family illnesses or deaths, to holding seasonal picnics for staff and family, as well as daily events during Corrections Professionals week. Special teams like the Honor Guard and emergency response teams are just as important. The department also utilizes a chaplain for staff. This multidisciplinary approach reflects the Department’s understanding that successful rehabilitation is a shared effort.
A Holistic Approach
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The opening of RCCF represents more than a new prison. It is an opportunity to strengthen how we support women in the correctional system and prepare them for a successful transition back into the community. Health, treatment and successful reentry are closely connected. Across the state’s facilities, there is established evidence-based programming that addresses a wide range of needs, including substance use and behavioral health, decision-making and personal responsibility, education and employment, parenting and family relationships, cultural connection and reentry. Bringing these established programs to RCCF will expand opportunities for women to participate as they prepare to return to their communities. Nick Lamb is the Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Corrections.
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Manufacturing Spotlight Fixtures for the Future of Behavioral Healthcare Willoughby draws on stakeholder input and manufacturing expertise to advance safer, more normalized environments By Charlie Lange Designing effective behavioral healthcare environments within correctional facilities requires balancing durability and safety with features that feel less institutional and support healing and rehabilitation. Rick Lewis, National Sales Manager, and James Waldrop, Director of Healthcare Sales at Indianapolis-based manufacturer Willoughby Industries, bring complementary perspectives to that challenge. Drawing on decades of experience in secure, high-abuse and healthcare environments, the Willoughby team encourages early collaboration with facility designers and operators to identify challenges and develop practical solutions.
Willoughby’s solid-surface fix begin as a liquid material poured molds, then baked and cured to cr a durable, seamless finished prod
the problem-solving process does not always produce a one-off solution, recurring challenges can prompt Willoughby to modify existing products, develop new ones, or pursue broader improvements. “That flow of information from the field back into engineering and manufacturing is one of the most important ways our product line continues to evolve,” Lewis said.
Risk Determines Design
Patient safety and durability are Willoughby’s primary design considerations, Waldrop said, but the appropriate approach depends on the risk level of each space. In forensic psychiatric and other high-risk environments, stainless-steel fixtures provide the necessary strength and abuse resistance for patient safety. Acute behavioral healthcare settings may allow greater flexibility. Stainless steel can still be used, but where the patient-risk assessment permits it, solid surface can also be appropriate and provides additional flexibility in shape, color and integrated surfaces. “The hierarchy is really safety, durability and appropriate material selection first, then normalization,” said Waldrop. “We are not trying to make every environment residential. We are trying to make each Willoughby produces both stainless-steel and solid-surface fixtures at its Indianapolis environment as familiar and healthcare-oriented as its particular risk level safely allows.” manufacturing facility. | Photo Credit (all): Courtesy of Willoughby Industries Even stainless-steel fixtures, such as Willoughby’s signature toilets found in correctional facilities nationwide, can be normalized through softer “We want owners, architects and engineers to involve us early,” said Lewis. geometry and color. Larger radii and smoother transitions can dramatically “They do not necessarily need to come to us with a finished product or a alter a fixture’s character compared with the angular forms traditionally completed specification. Sometimes the best conversation starts with, ‘Here associated with correctional plumbing. A white powder coating can also is the problem we are having. How can we solve it?’” make a stainless-steel toilet resemble fixtures found in homes, hotels or Waldrop said those conversations may address geometry, materials, conventional healthcare settings. There can also be a practical housekeeping mounting, maintenance access or other issues identified by end users. While benefit, as dirt and soiling can be more immediately visible on a white surface than on bare stainless steel. Those changes go beyond appearance. On Willoughby’s behavioral healthcare toilets, for example, the skirt extends toward the floor and front of It’s not just about what we build. the bowl to minimize potential tie-off points, allowing those It’s about how we build it — protections to become part of the overall form rather than side by side, every step of the way. visually announcing themselves as security features. Waldrop cited Willoughby’s LRFC ligature-resistant infrared faucet as another example of safety engineering that does not visually dominate the fixture. Its sloped body sits flush with the fixture when installed correctly, reducing projecting geometry and potential tie-off opportunities while retaining the familiar appearance of a faucet. “The best safety features are often the ones most people never recognize as safety features at all,” said Waldrop. “Whenever possible, the patient should simply see a toilet, a lavatory, a faucet or a shower, Nationally ranked #2 Contractor in Correctional Facilities Construction by ENR Rankings. Learn more at jedunn.com. not a collection of security features.”
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14 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
xtures d into reate duct.
MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT Ligature resistance cannot stop at the primary fixture. The faucet, flush valve, showerhead, drain, grab bars, controls, fasteners and access points all have to be considered together. An otherwise well-designed ligature-resistant fixture can be undermined if conventional components introduce new tie-off opportunities. Maintenance requirements must also be incorporated into the design. Although plumbing, valves, controls and fasteners may need to be concealed or protected for patient safety, maintenance personnel still require access to serviceable components. Those considerations influence access covers and panels, fixture mounting and potential chase configurations. “In many ways, these products are being designed for two users at the same time: the patient and the maintenance professional,” Waldrop said.
Lewis cited the South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital project in Kansas, where different components were required at various construction stages. In-wall materials arrived first, followed by mock-up materials, showers and fixtures, and finally the WMSII water-management system. Lewis attributed that coordination to collaboration among Willoughby’s engineering and manufacturing teams with the project’s contractor, engineer and wholesaler. “Being the manufacturer gives us the ability to participate in those conversations and determine how to produce and release materials in a way See Manufacturing Spotlight, page 31→
Manufacturing Capacity Matters Willoughby’s in-house stainless-steel and solid-surface manufacturing capabilities at its 250,000-square-foot production facility allow the company to design fixtures around the requirements of each application. To meet growing demand within the correctional behavioral healthcare sector, Willoughby has expanded its production capabilities through specialized tooling and machinery for ligature-resistant products, workforce expertise and increased capacity. Because these fixtures require precise radii, geometry, welds, mounting arrangements, finishes, controls and maintenance access, the company has made investments specifically to support the Various fixtures, such as toilets, faucets and mirrors, help create a safer, more normalized space.
behavioral healthcare market rather than treating these products as minor variations of conventional fixtures. “We have also been deliberate about adding capacity,” Lewis said. “We do not want to grow behavioral healthcare by simply taking resources away from another product line and making somebody else’s lead time longer. If this market continues growing for us, our manufacturing capability has to grow with it.” That capability also supports project scheduling and delivery. www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026 | 15
INNOVATION CORNER
As healthcare increasingly intersects with digital innovation, agencies should think beyond the individual use cases and consider how technology can responsibly connect information across the broader correctional environment. Photo Credit: ChatGPT Thinking v 5.5
Corrections Cannot Be Treated as Just Another Healthcare Setting By Angela Phillips-Broida, Ph.D., LCSW Correctional healthcare is entering a new era of technological change. Although some agencies still rely on paper records, others are modernizing legacy systems, and many are now adopting advanced digital tools, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence. While these innovations offer significant opportunity, they also introduce an important question: How should correctional leaders determine which technologies are truly appropriate for their environment, the professionals who use them, and the individuals in their care? Technology alone is not the solution. Correctional healthcare does not operate independently of institutional safety and security. Every clinical decision exists within a secure environment where housing, movement, custody operations and emergency response are interconnected. As healthcare increasingly intersects with digital innovation, agencies should think beyond the individual use cases and consider how technology can responsibly connect information across the broader correctional environment. In many facilities, clinical, security and operational information is distributed across electronic health records, offender management systems, incident reporting platforms, case management programs and other institutional data systems. When the data remains fragmented, correctional leaders are often left making important decisions with only part of the picture. The next generation of correctional healthcare should move beyond isolated applications by responsibly integrating and synthesizing information across systems to generate actionable insights that strengthen clinical care, institutional security and operational decision-making. For example, a clinician evaluating an incarcerated individual before a housing change or following a significant incident may need to quickly synthesize information from medical and behavioral health records, disciplinary history, housing movement, prior observation status and recent behavioral events. Technology should help bring these pieces together in a way that supports timely clinical decisions while remaining compatible with institutional safety and security requirements. The challenge with new healthcare technology is rarely a lack of innovation itself. More often, it is ensuring that healthcare solutions are developed with sufficient correctional clinical and security expertise, operational understanding and ongoing partnership to produce meaningful value in practice. Technology should not simply be adapted for corrections — it should be informed and developed by correctional, clinical and operational expertise from the very beginning. Before adopting any healthcare technology, 16 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
agencies should look beyond product features and technological advancement. The most sophisticated technology is not necessarily the most valuable or useful. The technologies that matter most are those that are led with clinical and operational expertise, helping correctional professionals make safer, better-informed decisions together. Technologies intended to influence clinical, security or operational decision-making should be evaluated not only by the outputs they generate but also by the approach used to generate them. Agencies should consider whether the solution is: 1) grounded in correctional expertise; 2) developed with appropriate clinical and ethical oversight; and 3) integrated into correctional practice, supporting professional judgment and demonstrating measurable value over time.
Five Considerations for Evaluating Correctional Healthcare Innovation Together, these considerations provide a practical framework for determining whether healthcare technology is likely to earn trust, strengthen decision-making and deliver meaningful value in correctional settings.
1. Correctional Expertise The expertise behind the technology matters. Correctional healthcare is a specialized practice requiring an in-depth understanding of unique clinical care guidelines, institutional operations, security, housing dynamics, ethics and the realities of working in custody. The expertise informing development should be appropriate for the decisions the technology is intended to support. The greater the influence a technology has on clinical or operational decision-making, the greater the need for correctional expertise to inform its development. Solutions intended to guide clinical assessment or decision-making should be developed through meaningful collaboration among correctional clinicians, security professionals, operational leaders and technical experts, with development grounded in an evidence-based understanding of the etiology underlying the conditions being addressed. Because clinical decisions frequently carry operational consequences in correctional settings, collaboration with operational leaders is equally essential to ensure technology supports both safe care and effective institutional practice.
2. Decision Support & Interpretability Not all decision-support technologies are created equal. Some technologies primarily store information or generate numerical scores, while others have the ability to integrate across multiple correctional systems to provide the context needed to understand why a recommendation was made, what information influenced it and how it
should inform professional judgment. Technology should strengthen — not replace — professional judgment.
3. Workflow Integration Even the most valuable technology will struggle to achieve adoption if it creates unnecessary work or operates separately from established workflows. Effective solutions integrate naturally into existing systems that encompass clinical, security and operational awareness, reduce administrative burden, provide enhanced value and streamline correctional processes.
4. Partnership & Adaptability The organization behind the technology is often as important as the technology itself. Agencies each have unique challenges that must be met with flexibility and collaboration. The strongest technology partners continue learning alongside the agencies they support, refining and adapting their solutions as experience grows.
5. Measurable Impact Technology should ultimately be evaluated by its meaningful, measurable impact on correctional practice. Agencies should establish benchmarks for success, such as adoption, completion rates, timeliness, staff satisfaction, reliability and relevant, risk-related outcomes. Establishing agency guidelines will help determine whether the technology is producing meaningful improvement and where further refinement is needed. Correctional agencies do not need new technologies simply because they are available. They need technologies capable of solving meaningful clinical, security and operational challenges within the realities of correctional healthcare. As technologies become increasingly sophisticated, correctional leaders must look beyond compelling demonstrations and product claims to understand what expertise informs their development, the methodologies behind their recommendations and their ability to improve clinical, security and operational decision-making. Bottom line: As advanced healthcare technologies continue to evolve, the greatest challenge is no longer innovation: it is identifying the technologies that earn trust by strengthening clinical care, institutional security and operational decision-making through correctional expertise, interpretable decision support, seamless integration, flexible partnership and measurable value. Angela Phillips-Broida, Ph.D., LCSW, is a Senior Product Manager at Falcon Technologies. She holds a doctorate and LCSW from the University of Washington and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Stanford and Harvard Universities.
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MODULAR HEALTHCARE
Modular Healthcare, Correctional Focus
As agencies expand behavioral health services and modernize aging medical infrastructure, modular construction offers a potential response to increasingly complex healthcare demands By Lindsey Coulter A pressing question for correctional agencies is how to deliver environments that accommodate changing clinical needs while remaining practical to build, maintain and operate over the long term. Prefabricated bathroom pods with sinks, toilets, and showers, ready for installation in healthcare facilities. Photo Credit (all): Courtesy of CareAffirm
“Corrections is becoming increasingly complex and diverse. What was once viewed as a one-size-fits-all system is now recognized as an interconnected landscape of individuals with unique mental health, medical and criminogenic needs,” said Dr. Deanna Dwenger, Chief Behavioral Health Advisor with Elevatus Architecture. “As our understanding of social determinants of health and the school-to-prison pipeline continues to evolve, so too must the environments and systems designed to support those in our care.” One approach gaining attention is modular construction, which involves manufacturing room-based assemblies in a controlled facility before transporting them to the project site, reducing field coordination and allowing complex healthcare spaces to be developed earlier in the project process. Its effectiveness depends in part on project type, procurement strategy and how early the approach is incorporated into the design. For CareAffirm, a company specializing in room-based modular healthcare environments, the conversation begins well before construction starts. Rather than manufacturing standardized building components, the company works alongside architects, engineers, contractors and correctional stakeholders during the earliest stages of project planning to develop customized healthcare environments tailored to each facility’s operational needs. “Our focus is simple — we build healthcare environments and healing environments,” said Eric Waller, Director and Vertical Lead at CareAffirm. “We combine healthcare operational experience, clinical input and design collaboration, then bring all of that together through controlled manufacturing using room-based modular construction. The goal isn’t simply to build faster; it’s to build environments that help healthcare teams deliver better care.”
Bringing Healthcare Expertise to Corrections Designing clinically appropriate, secure and durable environments requires coordination among healthcare providers, designers, builders and correctional operators. Waller said a common misconception is that modular products dictate facility design. Instead, CareAffirm joins the project 18 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
team during feasibility, integrating modular construction into the project’s foundation. “After more than 25 years of providing the industry-leading modular solution for the justice sector, we saw a clear need to utilize our expertise to help address growing needs for special behavioral health, mental health and traditional healthcare designs,” said Mike Smith, President of CareAffirm’s parent company VITALSpace. “While a logical addition to our portfolio, we knew we needed to tap into our country’s best practitioners and designers to understand how these rooms need to work with and support proven programs.” Smith added that designing together with these professionals for outcomebased solutions provides cost-effective and mindful healthcare solutions, with reduced downtime due to the durability of the design. “We’re not a construction company doing modular; we’re a modular company doing healthcare,” Waller noted. “Our role is to help project teams create the room they want. We believe healthcare providers and designers are the experts on patient care, and we’re the experts on building those environments.”
Behavioral Health Creates Common Ground Behavioral health represents one of the strongest intersections between healthcare and corrections. As agencies care for increasing numbers of individuals with mental health needs while emphasizing rehabilitation, facility design is evolving alongside operational priorities. According to Waller, facilities are considering how physical environments can support treatment, counseling and recovery while maintaining safety. Behavioral health spaces may benefit from natural light, calming materials and less institutional surroundings, but correctional facilities must maintain security and address population-specific risks. CareAffirm’s modular environments incorporate trauma-informed planning, biophilic design, integrated lighting and customizable therapeutic spaces to balance security with patient dignity. “Most organizations know what they don’t want,” Waller said. “They don’t want environments that fail inspections, unsafe spaces, or institutional rooms that overlook the human side of behavioral healthcare. The challenge now is creating environments that remain safe, durable and clinically appropriate while also feeling therapeutic and supporting recovery.”
Standardization Without Sacrificing Flexibility Correctional agencies must also determine the appropriate level of standardization for healthcare environments. Standardized layouts can provide operational benefits, but healthcare delivery also changes over time as treatment models, technology and patient needs evolve. “Healthcare organizations often struggle to agree on standardization, while corrections has decades of experience operating standardized facilities,” Waller said. “The opportunity now is taking that operational consistency and combining it with healthcare design principles that support both staff performance and patient care.” Standardized room layouts help clinicians
locate equipment and supplies quickly while reducing unnecessary movement. At the same time, CareAffirm designs rooms to remain adaptable as operational needs change, ensuring facilities don’t have to choose between standardization and future flexibility. Additionally, the company’s rooms are constructed with welded 12-gauge galvannealed steel rather than conventional framing, which improves durability, reduces maintenance and supports long-term resiliency in demanding healthcare environments.
What Modular Construction Can Solve Building modules off-site can minimize weather delays and change orders by resolving design decisions before construction. For facilities that must remain in operation during construction, moving work away from active sites may provide additional logistical advantages. Those potential benefits, however, depend on decisions being made early. Room-based modular construction requires coordination between the manufacturing process and the broader building design, including architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems. Many project teams still associate modular construction with temporary buildings or standardized products that limit design flexibility. CareAffirm instead emphasizes permanent, customized healthcare environments manufactured in controlled factory settings before installation.
Modular headwall designed to keep essential medical equipment organized and easily accessible.
“Modular construction is a form of prefabrication,” Waller said. “The intended distinction is that it is not mobile, temporary or limited to generic standardized buildings.” For correctional agencies evaluating modular construction, the question becomes whether the strategy aligns with the project’s clinical requirements, operational constraints and longterm goals. As behavioral health continues reshaping correctional healthcare delivery, Waller expects closer collaboration between healthcare specialists and justice agencies. “Correctional agencies are being asked to address increasingly complex healthcare needs while creating spaces that support rehabilitation,” Waller said. “We believe our experience can help them meet those challenges by bringing healthcare thinking into correctional environments in a practical, collaborative way.” This article was sponsored by CareAffirm. To learn more, visit www.careaffirm.com.
EVIDENCE-BASED DESIGN
Healthcare Market Provides Critical Correctional Design Interventions By Rosalie Howell, AIA, and Cassandra (Cassey) Franco, AIA, LEED AP Healthcare, behavioral health and carceral environments are intimately connected in both historical and legal contexts, and when one industry experiences a major shift, it inevitably ripples across the others. The Supreme Court’s landmark 1975 decision in O’Connor v. Donaldson helped catalyze deinstitutionalization and the closure of U.S. asylums, which had indefinitely confined thousands of patients with little hope of returning to society. Although the decision spurred positive changes in mental health treatment facilities, it also complicated mass incarceration. Correctional facilities now serve a growing population of mental health
2. Dedicated staff-only work areas 3. Staff wellness areas such as breakrooms, workout facilities and outdoor spaces 4. Access to daylight and exterior views However, architectural design alone cannot solve staff shortages. Facilities also need creative ways to deploy limited personnel and safer operational environments that support retention.
For example, bringing routine specialty services — including telemedicine, dialysis, infusion, imaging and physical therapy — into correctional facilities can reduce transports, increase flexibility, create safer treatment areas and keep staff on-site. Correctional facilities can look to rural hospitals, which rotate specialists such as podiatrists and cardiologists through one clinic on
1 proctor. 9 concurrent interviews. Zero variability.
The DeWitt Nelson Correctional Annex in Stockton, Calif., includes dedicated medical spaces. Photo Credit: Mikki Piper Green, Courtesy of Dewberry
patients, requiring more staff with better training. Considering this along with other historical and legislative factors, the intersection between healthcare, behavioral health and correctional environments has been increasingly established over many decades. Unsurprisingly, the industries share goals and challenges: promoting recovery and restoration while struggling to attract and retain staff. Although many correctional facilities continue to adopt healthcare design and operational elements, there are still underexplored and highly beneficial design interventions that should be incorporated into correctional environments to improve safety, wellness and restorative outcomes.
Attracting and Retaining Staff A building’s function, flow, daylight and acoustics all have an impact on staff satisfaction, and several design interventions can contribute to attracting and retaining staff, including: 1. Respite areas strategically located to allow staff to walk away from stressful situations
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EVIDENCE-BASED DESIGN a recurring schedule. Rotational scheduling and expanded telemedicine could similarly provide more correctional medical services on-site. Incorporating design and operational elements that create a therapeutic environment leads to positive interactions among building occupants. Positive interactions will create a safer environment for staff and lead to decreased turnover.
views in behavioral health, secure housing, educational and medical inpatient environments. Studies of emotional comfort found that spaces without exterior views negatively affected mood, while those with views had positive effects. Other research connected views of nature with faster inpatient recovery and shorter hospital stays, and linked greater access to green views with reduced stress and aggression in behavioral health environments. One particularly relevant resource is Roger Promoting Recovery and Restoration Ulrich’s 2019 Centre for Healthcare Architecture Peer-reviewed research has examined exterior article, “Evidence-Informed Design Recommendations for Juvenile Facilities in Sweden,” which identifies interventions to improve resident restoration, staff well-being and safety. Ulrich states: “[…] several strong studies [show] that simply viewing nature for a few minutes reduces physiological stress and diminishes anger, anxiety, and other negative emotions. Although even brief views of nature can foster stress recovery, the potential benefits of window Chronic Care Specialty Care Behavioral & Infectious views of trees, grass, and other nature can be greatest — Mental Health Disease and extend to influences on treatment and health-related outcomes — when persons experience considerable stress and are required to spend long periods in a confined setting. Health Re-Entry Substance Use Oral Health Such situations include confined Education Treatment treatment facilities, prisons, hospitals and certain high-stress work environments.” Ulrich’s findings suggest Our focus is simple: deliver quality compassionate care that providing incarcerated individuals with access to through trusted partnerships that put patients first. exterior views cultivates positive behavioral and physical health outcomes and improves interactions with staff. This impact could reduce staff turnover rates and have a positive impact on staff mental health. Inmate spaces at the State of Nebraska Women’s Community Corrections Center receive natural light. Photo Credit: Tom Kessler, Courtesy of Dewberry
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MORE PRODUCTION. LESS CONSUMPTION. 20 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
As we continue to brainstorm ways to address issues such as — but not limited to — overcrowding, lack of mental health treatment and staffing shortages, it is critical that we understand the historical and social contexts of carceral and healthcare environments and move forward with a holistic approach in order to break harmful patterns and prioritize user safety, staff retention, resident restoration and effective preparation for community reentry. More research is needed to examine these possibilities. Rosalie Howell, AIA, is a Justice Architect at Dewberry. Cassandra (Cassey) Franco, AIA, LEED AP, is a Senior Healthcare Architect at Dewberry.
PERCEPTION
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FACILITY OF THE MONTH
Security Meets Sustainability The Pueblo County Detention Center represents a more modern model for correctional design By Lindsey Coulter
T
he new Pueblo County Detention Center represents a broad shift in correctional design, combining prefabricated construction, decentralized services, improved staff sightlines, behavioral health spaces, technology and energy-efficiency strategies in a 188,000-square-foot facility designed to accommodate 672 detainees. The two-story, $150 million facility — completed by the project team of Vanir, HOK and JE Dunn — replaces an older, five-story jail built in the late 1970s. The new building provides 150 additional beds, along with administration, medical and behavioral health spaces, evidence and property storage, kitchen and laundry facilities, inmate programming areas and training space. For the project team, however, the most significant advances are found in how those components work together. Curt Parde, Regional Leader of Justice and Civic at HOK and the project’s Principal and Project Manager, said the company had worked with the county since 2016 on site selection, master planning and options for replacing the existing facility. The process ultimately required the county to change sites after an initial bond referendum failed, followed by a second effort to fund the project. That long planning horizon became important as construction costs increased after 2020 and the county evaluated how to maximize the value of its available resources. The selected 33-acre site also required infrastructure that did not previously exist, including a new roadway, water and sanitary sewer extensions.
Starting with a Blank Slate The site-selection process created an unusual construction challenge: There was no road to the property when planning began. The county had to coordinate construction of a major boulevard serving the detention center as well as surrounding West Pueblo neighborhoods. Water and sewer infrastructure were installed within the roadway, requiring coordination between separate project teams. The new roadway also provides
Handrails and other elements are assigned different colors by housing unit, allowing staff to identify locations more quickly during surveillance and incident response.
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a community benefit by connecting residential areas that previously required longer routes into Pueblo. The county’s original project goals included improved security, safer facility design, the right number of beds for local needs and lower operating costs through features such as an on-site infirmary.
Designing Around the Housing Unit One of the project’s central design strategies was to reduce unnecessary movement throughout the facility. As such, each unit includes access to recreation, multipurpose space and areas for counseling, education and programming. “A very important element of this facility is bringing all the services to the housing units,” Parde said. “In new facilities, our goal is to keep inmates in one area of the building and not have to transfer them to food service or recreation and medical and counseling.” The approach has operational implications as well as quality-of-life benefits. Fewer internal movements can simplify staffing and scheduling while reducing opportunities for conflict. The strategy also addresses access to outdoor recreation. While the former jail had a single recreation yard at the top of the building, limiting opportunities for outdoor time, the new facility provides a recreation yard for each housing unit. Each unit also includes a multipurpose room that can accommodate counseling, education and programming, including private conversations between detainees and counselors. “Moving to a fully direct-supervision model has also generated very positive results with better interactions between deputies and inmates, with a reduction in complaints and violent incidents,” added Paul Toth, Bureau Chief at the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, who was highly involved in the project. “Direct supervision has given our staff better interaction with inmates and a greater ability to facilitate the Inmate Behavior Management program.”
FACILITY OF THE MONTH
A large photovoltaic array is intended to complete the project’s net-zero strategy, and the county is currently negotiating a power purchase agreement with its solar vendor. Photo Credit: © Lara Swimmer Inc.
Bringing Care Closer to Detainees The facility’s medical strategy similarly combines centralized clinical infrastructure with decentralized access. The building includes a centralized medical area with dedicated cells for infirmary use, while telehealth capabilities are incorporated into a counseling and attorney room. This allows medical and behavioral health services to be delivered without treating every clinical interaction as a full-scale movement operation. “Our medical clinic spaces are four times larger, allowing adequate work space for medical staff, additional beds for medical observations, and added exam space to be able to facilitate several different providers seeing patients at the same time,” Toth said.
While the former jail had a single recreation yard at the top of the building, limiting opportunities for outdoor time, the new facility provides a recreation yard for each housing unit.
“There also is a special unit that has more counseling spaces and is specifically for behavioral health inmates,” Parde said. “They need more care, they get more counselors coming to be able to meet with them, and the officers in those areas will be trained to understand what their issues are.” The design reflects a larger evolution in correctional facilities, where medical, mental health and diversion needs increasingly influence the physical plant rather than being treated as secondary functions. Parde said the project team also worked with the county on longer-term diversion strategies. The county plans to renovate another, newer portion of its existing correctional infrastructure into a diversion center for people dealing with substance-use, behavioral health or homelessness-related issues. That planning perspective helped the team incorporate an intake and booking center into the new detention center that initially was expected to remain at the existing courthouse.
Prefabrication as a Construction Strategy The detention center’s construction methodology is another defining
PROJECT DATA Owner: Pueblo County, Colo. Cost: $150 million Size: 188,000 square feet Inmate Capacity: 672 Beds Delivery Method: CMAR Architect: HOK General Contractor: JE Dunn Owner’s Representative: Vanir Commissioning Agent: Iconergy Structural Engineer: HOK Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineering: HOK Security Systems Designer: HOK Site Layout: HOK Fire Protection Engineer: Jensen Hughes Civil Engineer: DK Horn Geotechnical Engineer: Kumar & Associates Inc. Detention Equipment Contractor: CML Security Security Electronics Contractor: CML Security
PRODUCT DATA Building Automation and Controls: Trane Controls Detention Accessories: Viking Products Digital Fire Alarm: Special Systems Detention Beds: County Provided Elevator Installation: Otis Exterior, Precast Concrete: Stresscon Fire Sprinkler Installation: Colorado Fire Prefabricated Steel Cells: SteelCell of North America Rooftop Units: Trane Security Plumbing Fixtures: Willoughby
www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026 | 23
FACILITY OF THE MONTH feature. The project substituted precast for CMU where practical, reducing the amount of on-site masonry labor required, and included prefabricated cell modules manufactured by SteelCell of North America. JE Dunn also worked closely with Stresscon to plan and sequence more than 1,500 precast panels, totaling roughly 100,000 square feet. Panels were installed in a precise order to leave openings for 362 prefabricated cells, each weighing approximately 16,000 pounds, and providing the facility with 672 beds. That required sequencing modifications to the building structure to create sufficiently large openings for delivery, staging and installation. As construction progressed, however, leaving precast sections open for cell
For Pueblo County, the result is a facility designed not simply to house more people, but to give staff a more manageable workplace and detainees a safer, more service-oriented environment.
installation was no longer feasible. The team engineered a creative materialhandling system: a specialized forklift lifted materials from the exterior and placed them onto scaffolding positioned at the same height as the nine-foot windowsill. From there, a smaller warehouse forklift moved the materials down into the building into their final location. The issue illustrates a critical lesson for correctional prefabrication: The installation sequence has to be embedded in the architectural and structural design from the outset, rather than treated as a field logistics problem. Brad Clatterbuck, CHC, LEED AP, Senior Project Manager with JE Dunn, said the use of precast allowed significant engineering and coordination to occur before field construction began. The approach also reduced reliance on labor-intensive masonry work at a time when the local labor market presented challenges. “A full precast structure allows you to do a lot of the upfront engineering and coordination before you ever put a shovel in the ground,” Clatterbuck said. “It’s a heavy-duty structure material, very secure, so it checked a lot of boxes.”
space, supporting computer training, virtual shooting exercises and other flexible training applications. Evidence storage and handling also moved into the new facility, consolidating another function that had previously been housed within the older jail.
Natural Light, Efficiency and Net-Zero Ambitions While security remains fundamental, the design intentionally avoids the institutional character associated with older correctional facilities. Parde said the team prioritized natural light in housing units and recreation areas, using exterior windows throughout the multistory housing areas. Color was also incorporated to make the units more usable and less visually monotonous. Energy and water efficiency were similarly incorporated into the building systems. The project includes an energy-efficient HVAC system, efficient lighting, water-efficient fixtures and water-control systems designed to monitor consumption — an especially important consideration in Pueblo’s dry climate. A large photovoltaic array is intended to complete the project’s net-zero strategy, and the county is currently negotiating a power purchase agreement with its solar vendor. “It’s a 2.7 megawatt system, which [will generate] 200% of the energy consumed by the jail,” Zupan said. “We will use virtual net metering to offset other county electrical costs.”
Collaboration Through the Finish Line The project ultimately demonstrates that innovation in correctional construction is not limited to individual products or technologies. It also depends on coordination among the owner, architect, construction manager, specialty contractors and end users. Vanir Construction Management served as the owner’s representative, and Toth noted that Richard Cox, Senior Project Manager, and Codi Newsom (who previously served as Vice President and Regional Manager), were critical to keeping the project on track, addressing technical challenges and serving as the bridge between the county and the JE Dunn Construction team.
Technology Supporting Safety and Operations The building’s physical architecture is complemented by a technology infrastructure intended to support life safety, security and day-to-day operations. “A lot of attention was paid to life safety and security,” said David Zupan, the County’s Senior Project Manager and a former Colorado Department of Corrections Warden. “All of the electronics came along nicely, and we’re very happy with all the providers, vendors and equipment on this project.” The facility incorporates surveillance cameras, intercoms and other security systems, while the design uses color as an additional operational cue. Handrails and other elements are assigned different colors by housing unit, allowing staff to identify locations more quickly during surveillance and incident response. “It’s a big coordination effort on a job of that size with that amount of components involved. It’s a proud moment for us to walk away with a happy customer,” said CML Security Project Executive Dani Thoene, representing the SEC/DEC team that also included Superintendent Hector Hernandez and Assistant Project Manager Jesus Flores. The building also includes a dedicated training area for corrections and law enforcement personnel. Four large classrooms can be combined into one
The team incorporated an intake and booking center into the new detention center that initially was expected to remain at the existing courthouse.
24 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
While security remains fundamental, the design intentionally avoids the institutional character associated with older correctional facilities.
“I think close collaboration between our owner’s representative, Vanir Construction Management Services, JE Dunn and HOK Architects was a big factor,” Zupan added. “We did a lot of virtual meetings, and that really simplified things because it facilitates faster action and responses to getting things taken care of.” Late-stage modifications to the fire detection and smoke evacuation systems extended final commissioning, but Zupan and Clatterbuck said the changes were intended to improve building value and functionality. The project was ultimately delivered on time and slightly under budget. The transition from the old jail to the new facility is therefore more than a change in address. It represents a change in operational philosophy — from a vertical, movement-intensive building designed decades ago to a facility organized around decentralized services, staff safety, behavioral health, technology, prefabrication and environmental performance.
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HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
To read more about 1115 Medicaid waiver programs, see the Funding & Legislation section, page 47.
Beyond the Waiver
How Correctional Healthcare Partners is helping build a sustainable correctional healthcare model By Lindsey Coulter The implementation of Medicaid 1115 waiver programs represents more than a new reimbursement opportunity. It also requires facilities to connect correctional healthcare operations with community-based providers, Medicaid systems, county agencies and new (and sometimes complicated) administrative processes. In California, the CalAIM Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative is one example of how that shift is playing out. It allows certain Medi-Cal services to begin up to 90 days before an eligible individual’s release, bridging care in custody and the community. California was the first of 18 states with federally approved Section 1115 reentry demonstrations. As of Feb. 1, all 31 state prisons and 33 county jail and youth facilities across 13 counties were live, according to the California Department of Health Care Services. Every remaining county correctional facility must go live by Oct. 1. For correctional healthcare providers, that means adapting clinical workflows while also addressing documentation, billing, eligibility, care coordination and information sharing. Correctional Healthcare Partners (CHP) helps counties manage those overlapping responsibilities. CHP delivers medical and mental health services across 20 county correctional facilities in California and Washington. The company’s approach combines healthcare delivery with operational and compliance support, while allowing counties to determine how responsibilities are divided among correctional agencies, behavioral health departments, community providers and other partners. For Anthony Sommer, CHP’s Controller, that partnership is particularly important as jurisdictions work through an evolving program. “Ensuring trust with all our customers, facilities and everybody that we work with is important,” Sommer said. For correctional leaders, successful 1115 waiver implementation crosses organizational boundaries and requires multiple systems to work together.
The Operational Challenge Reentry clinical services are only one implementation challenge. CHP’s CalAIM framework addresses health screenings and assessments, medication management, medicationassisted treatment, clinical consultations, care coordination, reentry planning and connections to community providers. It also covers the infrastructure needed to document and bill those services. This differs from traditional correctional healthcare, historically focused on care inside the facility. “CalAIM requires us to build a true MediCal revenue cycle into correctional healthcare by connecting eligibility, clinical documentation, coding, claims and reimbursement in an environment that historically focused primarily on care delivery,” Sommer said. “Our job is to make that process repeatable, compliant and transparent for our county partners.” Counties must develop clinical and financial readiness together. Even organizations capable of providing a service may face problems if eligibility, documentation, coding, authorization or claims processes are misaligned. CHP uses existing electronic health records 26 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
(EHR) systems, county technology and, where appropriate, third-party administrators (TPAs) to connect clinical encounters with claims processes. CHP staff document encounters using applicable coding requirements and work with TPAs and county partners to support claims submission and reimbursement.
Coordination Drives Reentry Success
is to treat the release process as an operational workflow rather than a single event.
Compliance as Part of the Operating Model Counties considering or expanding a 1115 waiver program cannot treat compliance as a postservice review. Documentation, coding, eligibility, authorization and claims processes need to be incorporated into everyday clinical operations. CHP’s CalAIM framework calls for timely documentation, staff training, monitoring of billing activity, participation in audits and corrective-action processes, and secure retention of clinical and billing records. The company also identifies a compliance lead responsible for monitoring changes in state guidance and initiating policy updates.
An individual’s transition can involve numerous organizations, including correctional health providers, county health and human services agencies, behavioral health departments, county reentry or pre-release teams, managed care plans, Enhanced Care Management providers and community organizations. This makes clear lines of responsibility essential. Edwin Quezadas, CHP’s Compliance Manager, said questions about how responsibilities are A Partnership Model for an Evolving System divided among non-custody partners are among CHP’s experience with CalAIM illustrates a the most common he hears. broader shift in correctional healthcare: providers “There are a lot of partners that are nonare increasingly expected to contribute not only custody that are also a part of this program, clinical expertise, but also operational knowledge, including behavioral health. Another question compliance infrastructure, revenue cycle is how we address linkage to the community management and connections to community care. and how we work with already established “We decided to build this capability because medical groups and managed care organizations,” the market has changed,” said Dr. Peter Quezadas said. The county’s role remains central. CHP’s framework defines county responsibilities while establishing the company’s role as a clinical and operational partner. Countydesignated personnel CHP’s approach combines healthcare delivery may handle eligibility and portal functions, with operational and compliance support. with CHP supplying Photo Credit: Courtesy of CHP supporting clinical information. Counties also may retain primary responsibility for behavioral health or reentry planning, with CHP contributing clinical information and coordination. Freedland, CHP’s Chief Executive Officer. For justice leaders, establishing those “Counties no longer need a company that only boundaries early can prevent duplication, delivers healthcare inside the facility. They need responsibility gaps and disputes over ownership. an operating partner that connects that care to everything CalAIM requires around it. We saw a Build the System Around the Handoff clear gap in the market and chose to build the full system needed to make CalAIM work.” A successful transition requires more than Meanwhile, CHP supports embedded, in-reach a discharge date and referrals. CHP’s model or mixed delivery models based on each county’s incorporates clinical information into reentry program. “At the end of the day, the county owns planning, meetings with community providers this project, so how do we deliver this without and, for complex cases, multi-organization case overstepping?” Quezadas said. “That is where conferences. This ensures receiving providers partnership becomes our biggest tool.” have the individual’s medical history, treatment For correctional healthcare providers such as information, health risk assessments and other CHP, the role is connecting care delivery to the relevant information. administrative, financial, technology, compliance That work also has a practical component. and reentry infrastructure required to help Medication continuity, durable medical counties maintain clinical continuity and fiscal equipment and other needs must be addressed accountability as CalAIM evolves. before an individual leaves custody. CHP’s framework includes release medications, medication-assisted treatment, naloxone and This article was sponsored by Correctional Healthcare Partners. To DME as components of discharge planning. learn more, visit www.chphealth.com. The broader lesson for correctional leaders
SAFETY & WELLNESS
Collaborative Model Reshapes Safety Behind Correctional Walls By Matt Burke “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” These are the most dangerous words in the field when it comes to improving safety and wellness for everyone behind correctional walls. For correctional leaders, challenging the status quo is rarely easy. Leaders face legitimate concerns around staffing shortages, aging facilities, limited
Facility leaders, security and non-security frontline staff and people incarcerated meeting to discuss wellness and safety issues in a New York correctional facility. Photo Credit (all): Chicago Beyond
resources, public scrutiny and competing operational demands. Friction is inevitable. The question is not whether leaders will encounter it, but whether they have practical and effective ways to navigate that friction while improving safety and wellness for everyone inside their facilities. One approach that can help leaders do that is collaborative engagement.
wellness and safety. This approach recognizes that safety and wellness are interconnected and cannot be improved in isolation. It recognizes that lasting improvements cannot be achieved through policy alone, nor can they be solved from a single point of view. As one correctional union leader explained, “In the past, there have been siloed efforts around care, wellness and safety. But if you leave one part out, it is like changing one tire on a car when all four tires are flat.” Rather than prescribing one-size-fits-all solutions, the Holistic Safety Framework and Change Management Toolkit help correctional systems examine the physical, emotional, relational and operational conditions that influence daily life inside facilities. It then creates structured opportunities for leaders, staff and people who are incarcerated to identify challenges together, test solutions, learn from one another and adapt over time. Collaborative engagement can initially feel uncomfortable because it challenges traditional assumptions about who should help solve problems. Yet that discomfort often becomes the foundation for meaningful change. “At first, I thought this was just another thing we had to do,” one correctional employee reflected. “But as I began to hear what was being surfaced and the common ground we all had, and as I saw how everyone started to relate and respond to one another more positively, I realized it was needed now more than ever.”
Moving Beyond ‘Us vs. Them’ One of the earliest changes collaborative engagement produces is not related to policy; it is a shift in relationships. As one person who is incarcerated explained, “It bridges the gap between us and them, so it’s ... just us working together to try to get to a positive place.” An assistant warden described a similar transformation: “The traditional
By bringing together the people who know correctional facilities best, collaborative engagement offers one practical way forward to address conditions affecting wellness and safety.
Understanding Collaborative Engagement Collaborative engagement is a structured process that brings correctional leaders, frontline staff and people who are incarcerated together to identify shared challenges, develop practical solutions and continuously improve the conditions that shape safety and wellness. Rather than relying solely on top-down decision making, it creates regular opportunities for the people closest to the work and daily operations of a facility to solve problems together. Across nine correctional systems Chicago Beyond has worked with to implement the Holistic Safety Framework, collaborative engagement has been implemented to varying degrees. This approach has been associated with reductions of up to 50% in serious incidents, including assaults on staff and uses of force, while also improving institutional culture and advancing meaningful policy reforms.
way was always us against them. In corrections, you are taught not to show vulnerability or emotion. For people incarcerated, it was either following the rules or be disciplined. It wasn’t a healthy system. But learning this different way — including both sides and getting feedback from both sides — is really powerful.”
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Chicago Beyond’s Holistic Safety Framework By bringing together the people who know correctional facilities best, collaborative engagement offers one practical way forward to address conditions affecting
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SAFETY & WELLNESS These conversations create the trust necessary to generate practical solutions to issues that may otherwise go unaddressed. Correctional systems often identify immediate opportunities to improve wellness and safety through relatively simple changes. Leaders have described these as the “lowhanging fruit.” Examples include: • Modernizing staff gyms and wellness spaces • Making common-sense changes to uniform policies for people incarcerated • Expanding recreation and programming opportunities While these early improvements may appear modest, they serve an
important purpose. They build further trust, agency and momentum, making it possible to pursue larger, more sustainable reforms. Across systems, collaborative engagement has led to the creation of full-time staff wellness teams, revisions to disciplinary and restrictive housing practices that reduce crowding and create more rehabilitative environments, and improvements to visitation policies, spaces and procedures. Taken together, these changes demonstrate that collaborative engagement is not simply about generating ideas. It creates the conditions necessary for meaningful organizational change. Over time, these conditions contribute to safer, healthier facilities for everyone.
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Moving Forward Correctional leaders do not need more evidence that the status quo is failing people who live and work inside correctional facilities or the communities to which they return. They need practical strategies that help them lead meaningful change. Collaborative engagement does not eliminate friction or suggest that leaders must give up authority. Rather, it provides leaders with a disciplined structure for drawing upon the experience and expertise of the people who understand correctional environments most intensely. As one correctional leader admitted, “We often feel like we know what is best because that is what we are taught. But if you listen to staff and people incarcerated, they can tell you what can create change, because they deal with it every day.” The safety and wellness within prisons and jails will not depend solely on new policies or programs but on correctional leaders committed to creating environments where frontline staff, people incarcerated and facility leadership work together to solve problems. If systems want safer facilities, better working conditions and better outcomes, the people closest to the work must help build them.
About Chicago Beyond Chicago Beyond is a national philanthropic organization that addresses systemic inequity by backing solutions led by those closest to the issues. Since its inception in 2016, Chicago Beyond has invested more than $100 million in over 200 individuals and organizations in support of its mission. Because there is no single barrier to equity, Chicago Beyond engages in opportunities across philanthropy, justice, health and beyond. For more information about Chicago Beyond, visit chicagobeyond.org.
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Matt Burke is the Director of Justice Initiatives for Chicago Beyond.
SPECIAL POPULATIONS
Rethinking Women and Special Populations in Corrections
How correctional agencies can align policy, staffing, training and daily practice to address changing population needs By Ken Hyle For correctional leaders, incarcerated women and special populations are not a niche issue; they are an operational, fiscal, legal and workforce priority. Individuals requiring adapted supervision, behavioral-health support, disability accommodations, aging-related services or populationspecific practices often drive some of a system’s most complex decisions. Without clear policies and practices in place, agencies face safety risks, staff uncertainty, litigation exposure, medical costs and operational disruption. The data is compelling. A recent Council on Criminal Justice analysis projects that the number of women in custody will reach 1.1 million by 2035, with the female prison population increasing 27% and the female jail population increasing 20%. The analysis also projects that annual costs for women’s justice-system involvement will rise about 34%, from between $23 billion and $26 billion in 2025, to between $30 billion and $34 billion by 2035. The aging population is also creating pressure. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that from 2020 to 2023, the number of people age 65 and older in jails grew 78%. The Prison Policy Initiative reported that people age 55 and older grew from 3% of the prison population in 1991 to 15% in 2021. Older adults often require more medical care, mobility support, disability accommodations, specialized housing, end-of-life planning and reentry coordination. Effective special-population management begins with an accurate picture of agency strengths and opportunities. For more than two decades, The Moss Group (TMG) has provided these insights, supporting correctional agencies when the work is complex, the stakes are high and solutions must withstand real-world operations. The company’s model is straightforward and effective: practitioners helping practitioners. TMG’s mission is to create cultures of safety with partners, producing positive outcomes for staff and the populations served. With projects completed in all 50 states, TMG works across prisons, jails, community corrections, probation and parole, youth justice and other 24/7 operations. The firm provides expertise and services on security and operations, special populations, leadership and culture, sexual safety and PREA, workforce Keys to Strengthening Outcomes development and litigation in Women’s Facilities support. TMG has completed more than 300 facility • Women’s services plan aligned with assessments, giving leaders departmental strategic plan data, information and realistic recommendations. • Leadership commitment TMG has also developed • Alignment of leadership, court a staffing analysis protocol monitor and implementation teams to support effective staff deployment based on current • Population-specific staff training resources and the operational needs of special population • Stakeholder engagement management. • Translation of requirements into practice
• Enhancements to research-based and evidence-informed programs
Case Study: Strengthening Safety and Practice with Incarcerated Women
Women’s facilities have been the subject of significant litigation, investigations and consent decrees involving sexual safety. • Peer-led programs and engagement The risk is not simply the of the population number of lawsuits; it is the concentration and complexity of issues that can arise in women’s facilities. One of the most difficult challenges a correctional agency can face is rebuilding safety, trust and operational confidence while under a judicial consent decree. TMG is often called to support agencies facing these complex challenges, working with leaders who are interested in more than compliance to strengthen facility culture and safety. This work is rarely limited to one • Implementation of classification specific to the population’s risks and needs
policy, one training or one operational fix. Meaningful progress often requires looking across the entire system: how staff are trained, how expectations are communicated, how concerns are reported and addressed, how programs support the population and how daily decisions reinforce safety. TMG helps agencies create a model of best practices in engaging executives, external stakeholders, facility leaders, frontline staff and the population — resulting in expedited compliance and anchoring for continuity of success. TMG’s ‘Dementia Dozen’ Considerations for Staff
Case Study: Aging Population
1.
Assume confusion before defiance
As the correctional 2. Treat behavior as communication population ages, agencies are increasingly managing 3. Notice changes from baseline dementia and cognitive 4. Use one-step directions decline in environments not designed as care 5. Redirect rather than confront settings. Staff may see missed movement, 6. Allow extra time repeated questions, hygiene decline, confusion, 7. Keep routines predictable wandering, agitation, or rule violations and 8. Reduce environmental triggers interpret them as defiance 9. Watch for heightened vulnerability or misconduct, when they may reflect cognitive 10. Dig deeper when screening impairment. The challenge is to maintain safety and 11. Document objective observations security while helping staff recognize when behavior 12. Coordinate across disciplines requires a different response. TMG translates clinical concepts into practical training and tools for non-clinical staff. Staff are trained to recognize changes, respond safely and document objectively. The result is a more coordinated and defensible response to aging and cognitively impaired individuals in custody. Agencies gain practical strategies uniting custody and clinical teams, and leaders are better positioned to align housing, classification, supervision and care.
Final Thoughts At its best, special-population work strengthens the entire correctional environment. When staff understand the population, boundaries are clearer. When housing and supervision decisions are individualized and welldocumented, risk is reduced. When leadership aligns policy with practice, staff receive consistent direction. When training is practical, staff confidence improves. When people in custody experience safety, dignity and respect, facilities reduce operational disruption. Regardless of the need or population, TMG’s goals remain constant: every staff member goes home safe each day, and every incarcerated individual has meaningful opportunities for growth. TMG Enters Its 2.0 Era After more than two decades of leadership, founder Andie Moss has stepped into the role of Chief Executive Officer, continuing to guide TMG’s impact across the field. Mara Dodson, Vice President of Strategy and Growth, now serves as President. This transition positions TMG for a strong and exciting future, strengthening its ability to grow, serve and deepen contributions to public safety.
Ken Hyle is Vice President of Correctional Services for The Moss Group. This article was sponsored by The Moss Group. To learn more, visit www.mossgroup.us. www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026 | 29
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MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT Manufacturing Spotlight, from page 15 that supports the project, rather than expecting the project to adapt to us,” said Lewis.
Answering Tomorrow’s Questions Behavioral healthcare professionals looking for less institutional acute-care environments began examining solutions already performing successfully in other high-use markets, Lewis explained. Solid-surface fixtures were being used in schools, airports, stores and other demanding commercial environments, and owners and design professionals began asking Willoughby how that experience could be adapted for behavioral healthcare. One example is Willoughby’s solid-surface corner lavatory, which provides space for patients to place toiletries and other everyday items. Normalization in this sense is not simply about making a fixture look less institutional; it is also about considering how the patient actually lives in and uses the room. This approach
every level of patient risk. Willoughby believes manufacturers should be part of the ongoing conversation with owners, architects, engineers, maintenance professionals and clinical staff about how those solutions continue to evolve. “Our goal is not simply to react to where behavioral healthcare design is today,” said Waldrop. “We want to be one of the manufacturers working with owners and the design community to help determine what better behavioral healthcare fixture design should look like tomorrow.” “Bring us the problem,” Lewis said. “Let us understand the patient population, the risk level, the maintenance requirements and what you are trying to accomplish, and then let’s see whether there is a better solution we can develop together.”
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NEWS
Secure Healthcare Quality Alliance Launches to Advance Correctional Healthcare Standards WASHINGTON — Correctional healthcare leaders have launched the Secure Healthcare Quality Alliance (SHQA), a new coalition focused on quality care, ethical leadership, operational accountability and workforce stability in correctional settings. The organization said it was formed to address challenges affecting correctional healthcare providers, government partners and medically complex patient populations. SHQA will promote evidence- and datainformed standards, share best practices and advocate for reliable, community-standard care nationwide. The launch comes as correctional healthcare systems face workforce shortages, regulatory scrutiny, operational complexity and growing demands for accountability.
organizations that meet shared benchmarks for clinical quality, workforce engagement and ethical governance. It will also develop resources, standards and advocacy initiatives to strengthen correctional healthcare and support the public agencies that rely on it.
“Correctional healthcare providers play a critical role in safeguarding the health and well-being of some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations. SHQA was created to support organizations that are committed to quality, transparency, workforce investment and responsible stewardship of public healthcare resources,” said Deana Johnson, President of SHQA, in a statement. SHQA said recent industry disruptions have highlighted the need to maintain stable operations, protect frontline caregivers and ensure uninterrupted patient care despite organizational or financial challenges. The alliance identified four priorities: promoting proven medical practices that improve patient outcomes; encouraging ethical leadership, operational transparency and responsible business practices; supporting frontline nurses, doctors and mental health professionals; and preserving continuity of care during organizational transitions or provider changes. SHQA plans to unite policymakers, providers and correctional agencies to address systemic challenges and collaborate with www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026 | 33
MENTAL & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Addressing Crisis Outside of Corrections
Orange County, N.C.’s new Crisis Diversion Center reflects trend toward treatment-focused alternatives to detention By Charlie Lange The intersection of law enforcement, criminal justice and behavioral healthcare has become increasingly pronounced, leaving correctional agencies and facility operators on the front lines of responding to individuals experiencing mental
health and substance use crises. Too often, those encounters funnel individuals into a cycle of arrest, detention, emergency care, release and re-encounter while placing additional strain on law enforcement and correctional staff who lack the clinical resources to address
underlying behavioral health needs. Orange County, N.C., Sheriff Charles Blackwood has witnessed that cycle firsthand. He says his officers increasingly encounter people in crisis who move between the county’s detention center and local emergency departments without receiving the level of treatment necessary to address the root of the problem. “We have often said that you cannot arrest mental illness; it must be treated by professionals,” said Blackwood. “If a person is involved in the criminal justice system because of a mental health crisis, we need a way to get them out of that mechanism into a place where they are taken care of in the proper way, and the way they deserve.” Orange County will soon have that alternative through a new Crisis Diversion Center designed to provide a safe, therapeutic and supportive environment for individuals experiencing behavioral health crises. The facility is intended to reduce pressure on the From sliding and swinging door locking systems county detention center, local to hard-wired control panels, Willo provides hospitals, law enforcement equipment built to perform under the demands and other first responders of daily use. Our retrofit approach allows facilities while connecting individuals
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with appropriate care. The project carries a $22.9 million guaranteed maximum price and was designed by CPL, with Gilbane Construction Company serving as construction manager. Groundbreaking is expected by late summer, with completion in winter 2028 and operations beginning the following spring.
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Designed for Stabilization Planning for the Crisis Diversion Center began in 2019, when more than 30 stakeholders representing Orange County’s criminal justice, healthcare, behavioral health and housing systems joined the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in identifying gaps in the community’s crisis response. The process ultimately established a vision for a facility focused on immediate stabilization and connections to appropriate follow-up care.
MENTAL & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH The center will include a Behavioral Health Urgent Care unit serving individuals ages four and older and a 16-bed Facility Based Crisis unit for adults 18 and older requiring longer stabilization. Plans also include a community peer living room, integrated discharge services and a behavioral health resources hub. RHA Health Services has been contracted by the county to provide treatment services within the facility. Blackwood stresses that the facility is not intended to provide long-term treatment. Instead, it will offer an immediate alternative to jail or the emergency department while helping connect individuals with continued care. “If an officer encounters a person who’s in crisis at 3 a.m., rather than carrying them to jail and charging them and getting them into the criminal justice system, if we can get them to a place where we can stabilize their behavior and their situation ... the outcomes are so much better,” said Blackwood. “When the sun comes up in the morning, we’ll figure out what to do from that point forward.” Blackwood, who was elected sheriff in 2013 and has served with the office since 1980, points to the closure of a state-supported mental health hospital in Raleigh as a turning point that shifted more behavioral health crises toward emergency departments and detention centers. He said those challenges intensified following the COVID-19 pandemic as isolation and economic hardship contributed to growing behavioral health needs. While the new center cannot address every gap in the system, Blackwood believes it will help interrupt the cycle that brings people in crisis into correctional settings. “The crisis diversion facility satisfied just one identified gap, but I believe it was the most critical gap,” said Blackwood. “Putting this facility in place means that we have solved a plethora of problems.”
The new Orange County Crisis Diversion Center is designed to funnel individuals away from detention centers and emergency departments. Photo Credit (all): CPL
Municipal Jail, which was attributed to lapses in required safety checks. A task force convened after the incident recommended reducing the planned jail project scope by roughly 30% to accommodate a crisis stabilization center. The resulting $20 million facility, designed by Mackenzie and KMB Architects, built by FORMA Construction Company, provides 23-hour crisis care operated by Sea Mar Community Health Centers. A 16See Mental & Behavioral Health, page 48→
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JUVENILE JUSTICE UPDATE
Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice Builds a More Therapeutic Future in Muscogee County By Shawanda Reynolds-Cobb unit. For youth who have experienced trauma, Collaborative Design instability or violence, chaotic or confusing The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice Beyond serving operational environments can increase stress. (DJJ) is taking a significant step toward redefining needs, the planning process By contrast, spaces offering one of our long-term juvenile facilities. At the considered how the physical structure, predictable movement, Muscogee Youth Development Campus (YDC) environment could support interaction and access to in Midland, Ga., construction is underway on the work of counselors and programming can better support a new 56-bed housing unit to better support create better conditions for treatment goals. rehabilitation, treatment and positive youth rehabilitation. Central to the “Successful design begins development. project was the partnership with early collaboration, a shared Expected to go online in late 2026, the between the department’s understanding of the purpose, Muscogee facility is one of three long-term engineering team and mental and clear expectations,” said projects in the state’s pipeline designed to align health counselors. Joan Quinn-Cannon, Director with rehabilitative best practices. It also reflects “Having security staff work of the DJJ’s Engineering and a collaborative approach in which engineers and alongside engineers to design The new facility is expected to be Construction Services division, security staff created an environment supporting the Muscogee YDC creates completed by the end of the year. which works closely with the youths’ emotional, behavioral and developmental opportunities to design spaces project architects, engineers, needs. that incorporate commissioning agent and The department recognizes best practices contractors throughout the process. “By listening Modular units are being installed that it must prioritize the for treatment, rehabilitation to operational teams and applying lessons from in the new secure housing unit. conditions of its secure facilities and positive youth outcomes,” past projects, we create facilities that meet the Photo Credit (all): Georgia for the benefit of youth and staff. said Lisa Mantz, DJJ Deputy needs of the people who use them.” Infrastructure is the first indicator Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner of Secure to youth and their families that Facilities. Enabling Efficient Operations DJJ values their well-being and Engineers understand safety, as well as staff security. Program rooms were incorporated into the structural systems, building housing support areas, helping make therapeutic codes, security requirements, Housing Unit Configuration and rehabilitative services more accessible. infrastructure and facility Independent recreation yards connected operations. Involving the security In July 2024, six of the directly to each housing pod provide structured team and frontline staff in the original housing buildings at the opportunities for outdoor activity while limiting design brings a different but YDC were demolished to make unnecessary movement across the campus. equally important perspective. way for the new secure housing Staff offices within housing pods support closer They contribute knowledge facility. Construction began interaction between employees and youth, helping of youth behavior, trauma, shortly after in fall 2024, with counselors, case managers and correctional emotional regulation, treatment Piedmont Construction serving officers remain accessible and engaged while delivery and the environmental as the construction manager, balancing supervision with human interaction. factors that can support or following designs from architect Housing and housing support spaces are undermine therapeutic progress. NELSON Worldwide. located on either side of a central linear Those perspectives shaped the new housing The new building will encompass approximately 35,928 gross square feet and will include youth housing, support areas, main circulation space and critical mechanical, electrical, plumbing and security infrastructure. The 56-bed facility will include seven housing pods, each with a dayroom, game room, staff office, eight secure sleeping rooms and a secure outdoor recreation yard. Six of the pods will have similar configurations, while the seventh will serve as an honors dormitory with larger sleeping rooms. The honors dorm is designed to support incentive-based programming and to recognize youth who demonstrate positive behavior, personal responsibility and meaningful engagement in rehabilitation. Housing support areas will include youth programming rooms, a barber area, pill call space, staff offices and a breakroom. The building will also feature a central control GENERAL CONSTRUCTION • DESIGN-BUILD • CONSTRUCTION MANAGER room directly connected to daily www.slettencompanies.com housing operations.
CORRECTIONS DIVISION
www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026 | 37
JUVENILE JUSTICE UPDATE circulation corridor. Secure sallyports are positioned at both ends of the building, while the main entrance is located near the center of the corridor. This layout supports clear movement patterns, staff visibility and operational efficiency. For youth, predictable movement can contribute to a greater sense of structure and consistency. For employees, simplified circulation can improve supervision, communication and coordination between security, treatment and support teams. The building also incorporates a modern
electronic security system monitored through the central control room, with connectivity to the existing administration building. Security remains fundamental to the project, but it is integrated into a broader rehabilitation strategy. The goal is not to choose between security and treatment, but to ensure that each strengthens the other. A safe, well-managed therapeutic environment gives counselors the conditions necessary to provide treatment and can support calmer behavior, more constructive engagement and stronger
relationships between youth and staff. The Muscogee YDC project also includes significant infrastructure improvements, including new storm, sewer and water utilities connected to existing campus infrastructure, along with new mechanical systems and electrical improvements. Though largely out of sight, these systems are essential to safe, reliable, around-the-clock operations.
A Facility for the Future The new Muscogee housing unit reflects correctional design informed by professionals who understand youths’ needs firsthand, from counselors to security and frontline staff.
Six original housing buildings were demolished in July 2024 to make way for new secure housing.
Their collaboration produces a stronger, more thoughtful facility. This partnership also reflects the spirit of Georgia DJJ’s “Together We Can” initiative, which recognizes that positive outcomes require coordination across every office, division and profession. No single employee or discipline can accomplish the mission alone. Rehabilitation depends on counselors, officers, teachers, healthcare providers, engineers, maintenance professionals, administrators and many others working toward a common purpose. When the new Muscogee YDC housing unit opens, it will stand as an example of that collaboration, demonstrating that thoughtful design can support safety, treatment and positive development at the same time. Most importantly, it will reflect a shared commitment to creating environments where young people have the structure, support and opportunity necessary to make meaningful change. When engineering and mental health come together, rehabilitation becomes more than a goal. It becomes part of the design. Shawanda Reynolds-Cobb is the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice and a member of Correctional News’ Editorial Advisory Board. 38 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
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PROGRAMMING
Individuals who complete the MAT program are celebrated during graduation ceremonies.
Treatment, Trust and a True Second Chance
A behind-the-scenes look at San Diego County’s groundbreaking medication-assisted treatment module By Charlie Lange San Diego County Sheriff and Correctional News Editorial Advisory Board Member Kelly Martinez is acutely aware of the substance-use issues impacting public safety and affecting the county’s incarcerated population. Martinez, who took office in 2023, estimates that more than 80% of the men and roughly 65% of the women who enter San Diego County’s detention facilities suffer from some kind of substance-use disorder. “Drug use honestly drives a lot of crime, and managing San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez substance-use disorder — not only in our jails, but discussed the substance-use issues also in the community — is affecting public safety in her county. going to reduce crime,” Sheriff Martinez said. As such, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office (SDCSO) has embraced outside-the-box solutions — including implementing an expansive, dedicated medication-assisted treatment (MAT) module within the county’s Vista Detention Facility, which could ultimately serve as a model for other jurisdictions looking to curb substance use within their populations and better prepare detainees for successful and sober reentry. Correctional News recently visited the Vista Detention Facility for a San Diego County Sheriff’s Office staff-guided tour of the MAT module’s services and programming and attended a special graduation ceremony for individuals who are hoping to take the positive momentum they gained inside the module back into their communities.
Module Makeup The MAT module is a dedicated housing unit within the Vista Detention Facility, capable of housing up to 32 men at a time. Designed as a three- to six-month program for individuals nearing their release dates, the module combines daily opioid-blocking medication-assisted treatment administered in tandem with intensive, individualized therapeutic offerings designed to address past traumas and develop personal skills. The module also has its own dedicated staff, led by SDCSO Deputies Luis Meraz and Bianca Cardines. Meraz, a 20-year SDCSO veteran, specifically requested to be transferred into the MAT unit one year ago. He says the unique personal connection he’s able to develop with those inside the unit is what helps drive its success. “It’s definitely more about building a rapport with participants here in this module. It’s [about] communicating with them, building trust with them. That way, they can start seeing us not just as deputies, but people who are genuinely invested in their recovery,” said Meraz.
Built on Community
MAT module graduate Jesse Corona said that he would recommend the program to others in custody.
Diana Kathol, a licensed mental health clinician who has been with the MAT module since its inception in 2023, was charged with building the program from the ground up. Kathol and the other MAT module staff have crafted a holistic treatment program combining trauma-focused elements such as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) with sessions such as art therapy and yoga that build interpersonal skills and encourage emotional regulation. Other elements, such as a life-skills group led by Reentry Services Coordinator Kristine Simmons, focus on job readiness, hygiene and other basic skills to prepare Frequent replacements and breakage aren’t an option. Shat·R·Shield Lighting's participants for life after incarceration. Simmons also helps connect those nearing cleanup risks and supporting consistent operation across your facility. completion of the program with housing, treatment and other reentry needs. Kathol says the programming, along with the unique, community-like setting, helps regulate behaviors and set individuals up for success. The MAT residents even come together once a year to write and produce an original play, which they perform in front of (800) 223-0853 | WWW.SHATRSHIELD.COM staff. “With drug addiction, isolation is huge. That’s actually
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40 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
PROGRAMMING a red flag,” said Kathol. “This [program] reminds them that they need connection and they need to build their communities and have activities that are going to help them keep calm.”
Light at the End of the Tunnel To date, more than 325 people have graduated from Vista Detention Facility’s MAT module. For some of those graduates, Kathol says, it’s the first time they’ve successfully completed any type of program, and the pride those individuals share with their MAT module peers is palpable. Some may relapse or end up back in custody — the unit has seen certain individuals go through the program more than once — but the module shows markedly improved recidivism rates compared to the county’s general population, a testament to the efficacy of the specialized programming and community. And while they hope the success of the Vista Detention Facility MAT module will convince other jurisdictions to try similar programs, the SDCSO staff is focused on enhancing its own MAT offerings throughout San Diego County. In fact, the county will expand the program to the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility for women in the coming months — with Cardines tabbed to lead implementation of the MAT program tailored for this new population.
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where they are. “The opportunity for us not only to stabilize people when they come into our custody and assist them with their withdrawal, but also help them manage their substance use disorder with medication when they transition back into the community, we can continue that,” she said. Learn more about San Diego County’s first MAT module and its impact by watching the full Corrections Connections docuseries episode at www. correctionalnews.com/docuseries.
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“Essentially, the blueprint we have here at the Vista Detention Facility is what we’re going to take over to the Las Colinas MAT module, but we also recognize that women go through different things, so we’re going to make sure all of the curriculum is focused on women in recovery,” said Cardines. Ultimately, Sheriff Martinez — who has been a proponent of expanding MAT services since she took the reins as Sheriff — is seizing the chance to provide these specialized services and meet individuals in custody www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026 | 41
PROGRAMMING
EPISODE 3 | TEASER TRAILER
EPISODE 2: A PATH FORWARD Inside San Diego County’s MAT Module In the third episode of the Corrections Connections docuseries, Correctional News goes inside the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office’s first medication-assisted treatment (MAT) module at the Vista Detention Center, where a carefully developed combination of substance-use treatment, therapeutic sessions, lifeskills programming and goal setting is helping participants prepare for success after incarceration. Hear from San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez, along with the module’s dedicated deputies, therapists and specialized staff members, about how this groundbreaking program helps residents establish healthy habits and chart a course toward a more positive and productive life after release. Viewers will also learn about plans to expand the model across other San Diego County Sheriff’s Office facilities — and its potential to influence correctional treatment programs nationwide.
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE 42 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
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CORRECTIONAL HEALTHCARE
From the Field: Modernizing Jail Healthcare and Safety By Fred Meyer The American jail system exists in a state of perpetual tension, serving several roles as a shortterm detention center, a mental health triage unit and a primary care clinic for those taken into custody at the local level. While each jail is different, several challenges and opportunities appear consistently across the nation. To move
from a reactive posture to a proactive management and healthcare model, facilities must prioritize the critical window of intake and the management of those at high risk of medical or mental health crises.
individual entering the justice system is the initial 72 hours. Intake screening is not merely an administrative requirement; it is an opportunity for clinical intervention. Traditional screenings often rely on superficial checklists that can be easily manipulated by detainees who fear the stigma of mental health labels or the perceived Intake Screening and Suicide Prevention “punishment” of being placed in a restrictive One of the most dangerous periods for any observation housing cell. Experts emphasize that screening must move beyond the “yes/no” binary. Effective intake requires a biopsychosocial approach that looks for behavioral cues — such as withdrawal, agitation or sudden euphoria — rather than relying solely on self-reporting. The opportunity here lies in the integration of evidence-based tools, such as the ColumbiaSuicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), which provides a standardized framework for assessing immediate risk. Suicide prevention is directly related to intake quality. The transition from the community to a locked cell is a profound psychological shock that can trigger acute crises in vulnerable Titan Steel Door brings proven manufacturing, industry experience, and a team ready to work alongside you from specification through installation.
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populations. To mitigate this, jails must shift from a “watch and wait” mentality to one of active engagement. This involves not only frequent checks but the implementation of “warm handoffs” between booking officers and medical and mental health staff, ensuring that highrisk individuals are never left unsupervised during the critical transition from processing to housing.
CORRECTIONAL HEALTHCARE The Detox Dilemma: Managing Withdrawal and MAT One of the most complex operational challenges facing modern jails is the prevalence of substance use disorders (SUD). Managing individuals on detox protocol is a high-stakes medical necessity; untreated alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal can be fatal. Detox is often treated as a behavioral issue rather than a medical issue, leading to avoidable hospitalizations and increased staff stress. The opportunity for systemic improvement lies in the aggressive implementation of MedicationAssisted Treatment (MAT). For years, there was a common correctional culture that viewed MAT as “giving drugs to inmates.” However, clinical evidence and leadership from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) and to some extent the American Correctional Association (ACA) have shifted this narrative. MAT — using medications like buprenorphine, naltrexone or methadone — stabilizes the brain chemistry of the individual, drastically reducing the risk of overdose upon release and decreasing the volatility of the housing unit. Integrating MAT into the jail setting requires a shift
and improving operational effectiveness requires more than new policies; it requires a fundamental redesign of how jail healthcare is delivered.
Interdisciplinary Leadership and Collaboration The traditional divide between “custody” and “healthcare” is a primary barrier to safety and effectiveness of operations. Operational excellence requires an interdisciplinary leadership model where the jail administrator and health leadership share equal responsibility over the intake process. When security staff understand the clinical
markers of withdrawal and suicidal ideation, they become the first line of medical defense. Regular multidisciplinary rounds involving corrections officers, nurses, mental health clinicians and case managers ensure that no high-risk patient falls through the cracks. Comprehensive correctional staff training must evolve beyond annual compliance videos. Professionals require immersive, scenario-based training in Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) See Correctional Healthcare, page 56→
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in protocol from “detox and discharge” to “stabilize and connect.” When a person is started on MAT during incarceration, the jail may be a bridge to community-based recovery rather than a revolving door. The challenge remains the coordination of these services, as medical staff must balance the need for clinical stability with the security requirements of the facility. Reducing risk
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Design + Construction Texas Invests in Modern Facilities for Youth Offenders with Mental Health Needs By Dena Sattler specialized behavioral health treatment, Two planned construction projects in Texas are education, workforce development and environments intentionally designed to support designed to help transition young offenders from conventional confinement to greater opportunities positive behavior,” Carter said. “We have an extraordinary opportunity to build facilities the and positive pathways, without compromising state needs to safely manage and treat youth in safety, security or accountability. our care and custody today and for the next 100 Groundbreaking is set for early October for years.” two 104-bed facilities to treat youth with mental Carter added that the new juvenile correctional health needs. Lawmakers in Texas set aside $304 facilities are designed to meet the complex million for the two-part construction project behavioral and mental health needs of young that will deliver a more offenders, while supporting safety and comprehensive support The flow will be safer for youth security and enabling the intensive system: the Brazoria in housing and education, work of clinicians, educators County Facility and direct-care staff. aiding staff observation. built specifically “Rehabilitation for youth with the does not require us highest levels of to choose between violent behavior and safety and treatment mental health needs, — done correctly, and the Ellis County safety is what Facility for youth with makes meaningful significant mental health rehabilitation needs. possible and allows Shandra Carter, Executive youth to succeed when Director of the Texas Juvenile they return to their home Justice Department, said the communities, ” Carter said. department is excited to get the facilities built Nathan McDaniel, Chief of Staff and operational and is looking forward to the at TJJD, said youth currently are held in a facility positive impact they will make on many lives. never intended for them; it was originally built as “Our vision starts with safety and builds an adult correctional facility, but was transferred from there: modern correctional infrastructure,
46 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
to the juvenile system before it ever opened and operated. However, past practices weren’t meeting juveniles’ needs, according to McDaniel, functioning more as camps for troubled youth.
TJJD’s Youth Mental Health Facility will redefine juvenile health, rehabilitation, and safety to transfo Photo Credit (all): Courtesy of TJJ
Moving forward, the state will now be home to a “campus-style facility,” McDaniel said. “And it’s going to be the first time in Texas that a facility is built for juvenile justice youth.” HDR, an architecture and engineering firm specializing in restorative, community-focused juvenile justice and correctional facility design, crafted the design of the two-part project. Gerry Guerrero, Global Civic and Justice Director at HDR, said TJJD’s Youth Mental Health Facility will set a new standard for juvenile justice by transforming how mental healthcare, rehabilitation and public safety come together to change young lives. “The vision is a future where justice-involved youth with serious mental health needs are met with healing, dignity and possibility,” Guerrero Five key principles g said. “This facility Safety, Responsiv will be more than Excellence, Ad a place of care. It is envisioned as a place of stabilization, growth and transformation, where young people receive the support they need to regulate emotions, develop life skills and reconnect with hope.”
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION Mental Healthcare Matters Addressing mental health needs is a high priority, McDaniel said. “We’re trying to have the appropriate lighting, the appropriate colors and sensory considerations kind of being at the forefront with that population.” Key features include: • Restorative spaces designed to encourage rehabilitation instead of solely punishment. • Use of a natural setting by incorporating outdoor recreation yards, natural daylight and better sightlines that reduce stress. • An operational flow that’s safer for incarcerated youth in housing and educational areas, along with better staff observation.
e justice by integrating mental orm young lives. JD, HDR
“We’re excited because these are opportunities for us to serve youth, but also have the correctional infrastructure in place to address the needs that we’re seeing today,” McDaniel said, citing the addition of sleeping rooms with plumbing as an example. While just one juvenile facility now has all sleeping rooms equipped this way, every sleeping room in the two new facilities will be plumbed for a toilet and sink. “We’ll also have a lot of recreation and natural light, and things like that that we know help with rehabilitation,” McDaniel said. Guerrero said the treatment model is shaped by the partnership between TJJD leadership and HDR’s design vision for a facility that addresses the needs of the whole guide the project: child within a vity, Structure, safe, validating daptability. and therapeutic environment. He said that five core principles are guiding the facility’s planning, design and future operations: safety, responsivity, structure, industry-leading excellence and adaptability.
“The interior design approach is rooted in the concept of psychological safety, associated with architecture and environmental psychology theories suggesting that built environments communicate social cues that can influence behavior, memory, emotional well-being and longterm outcomes,” Guerrero said. “Safe spaces can contribute to healing experiences, and supportive interactions can create a foundation for lasting, positive change. Through intentional, traumainformed design, the facility will create capacity
for both youth and staff to foster meaningful connections and healthier relationships.”
Workforce Development Gains Juveniles will have access to academic programs, vocational training labs, athletics, employment services and more, with systems and programs set up at certain facilities throughout Texas. “We re-created a position within our school system that is an assistant superintendent of
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DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION workforce development and CTE (Career and Technical Education) — a huge, huge opportunity,” McDaniel said. “We are developing partnerships with employers to find pathways to employ our youth once they are released.” Guerrero said the vision extends to youth-centered learning environments that place the needs of young people at the forefront. “These spaces are designed to help learners feel safe, valued and positioned for success,” he said. Through supportive educational settings, opportunities for discovery, and hands-on learning experiences, youth will be encouraged to grow, build confidence and realize their full potential, he said.
Guerrero added that designing spaces that support the staff who will be serving these youths is equally important. “Flexible, multi-use spaces are designed to support ongoing training, collaboration and professional development, supporting team members with the tools, knowledge and support needed to provide exceptional care and guidance,” he said. “Together, these design elements create a facility built not only for treatment, but for transformation, where healing, learning, safety and opportunity come together to help young people build brighter futures and strengthen communities for generations to come.”
Mental & Behavioral Health, from page 35
MADE FOR HEALING. BUILT FOR SAFETY. Healing begins with people-centered care and safe environments. With a proven track record in behavioral health and normative environments, CML provides solutions that foster recovery while maintaining the highest standards of safety and support. Pictured here is our work on the James A. Musick Facility, Correctional News’ 2025 Facility of the Year. Detention Equipment - Security Electronics - Service & Support | cmlsecurity.us 48 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
bed crisis stabilization unit designed for longer stays is expected to open later this year. “My hope out of this facility is that we have something that can catch these people early, and that can provide them a meaningful connection,” Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon said during the facility’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “For people who are further in their journey, this will allow them to be part of our community, to come in here and get checked in and get stabilized, so you can get back out to live and be a part of our community.” A similar approach is taking shape in Oklahoma City, where officials broke ground in August on the $12.3 million Robert Ravitz Crisis Center, which will provide mental health and substance use intervention services. Designed by S.A. Studio and constructed by L5 Construction, the center will include an urgent recovery center with 25 observation stations and a social living area, along with 32 beds across two crisis stabilization wings. Additional spaces will include group therapy and calming rooms, an outdoor courtyard, administrative areas, a kitchen and cafeteria. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) will operate the facility following its anticipated 2028 opening. “How we respond to Oklahomans during their most vulnerable moments reflects who we are as a state,” said ODMHSAS Interim Commissioner Joshua Anderson. “The Robert Ravitz Crisis Center strengthens Oklahoma’s behavioral health system by expanding direct crisis care and connecting more Oklahomans experiencing severe mental illness and substance use disorders with treatment, recovery and hope.”
FUNDING & LEGISLATION
How 1115 Medicaid Waivers Support Healthier Community Transitions By Susan Haigh For decades, many states terminated people’s Medicaid coverage once they were incarcerated because the government health insurance program generally does not pay for care behind bars. Instead, the prison or jail picks up the tab. However, that practice can create problems upon release. Those who qualified for Medicaid sometimes faced delays in restarting coverage during what can be a stressful and vulnerable time, especially for those with physical and mental health conditions and substance-use disorders. The practice is now changing. As of January, states are required to suspend rather than terminate Medicaid eligibility when someone is incarcerated, making it easier to restart full coverage upon release. At the same time, a multiyear effort is underway to go a step further and get Medicaid involved before people leave incarceration. A federal initiative allows states to seek approval to use Medicaid funds to pay for certain health services before people are released from jails and prisons and connect them with care in the community afterward. Here’s a look at what’s happening.
statement. Under federal guidelines, CMS expects the programs to include at least case management, treatment for substance-use disorders and a 30-day supply of prescription medications upon release. States can provide Medicaid-covered services for up to 90 days before release and may offer additional benefits.
A Complicated Rollout Getting the programs up and running has been challenging for correctional facilities. “The program really just started. The approvals just started within the last 18 to 24 months,” said Richard Forbus, Vice President of Program Development at the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. “There was nothing
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Since Medicaid’s creation in 1965, federal law has prohibited the program from paying for healthcare provided to an “inmate of a public institution,” with some exceptions. In 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued guidance explaining how states could seek federal permission to operate their Medicaid programs differently from traditional rules and use Medicaid funds to help pay for certain health services before eligible people are released from custody. States can now seek a Section 1115 demonstration waiver allowing Medicaid to pay for certain pre-release health services that historically could not be covered. As of early August, CMS said projects in 18 states had been approved and eight requests were pending, including one from the District of Columbia. “These demonstrations provide states with flexibility to test innovative, state-specific approaches to improving care for Medicaid beneficiaries,” a CMS spokesperson wrote in a www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026 | 49
FUNDING & LEGISLATION built and nothing available to them to flip a switch and really start doing it. They’ve had to build all these processes out from scratch.” One reason for the slow rollout is that correctional facilities traditionally haven’t worked with Medicaid or had billing systems for pre-release services, Forbus said. He predicted it could take another year or two for some states to build their systems.
California Leads the Way In 2023, California became the first state to receive federal approval for a Medicaid reentry demonstration. Its Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative began providing services in October 2024 and has since been phased in across the state. The initiative allows Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid
program, to cover certain services for eligible people for up to 90 days before release and help connect them with continuing care afterward. Participants can also leave custody with prescribed medications and medical equipment. An impact report released in March by the California Department of Health Care Services highlighted some early success stories. Unnamed formerly incarcerated participants described how Enhanced Care Management, or ECM, and case managers helped them navigate the transition and connect with services. “My life after prison would have been much more difficult to rebuild without ECM and especially without my wonderful care manager,” one participant said. “She became my extended family. She had so much compassion for me and connected me with other resources that helped me to acquire my goals.” “I felt cared about, like I mattered to someone, and it felt good. It felt like I was worth it,” another participant said.
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The Affordable Care Act significantly expanded the number of low-income adults eligible for Medicaid beginning in 2014, including many people transitioning into and out of incarceration. Four years later, Congress directed federal health officials to develop ways to improve healthcare transitions for Medicaid-eligible people leaving incarceration. That led CMS to create the Section 1115 reentry demonstration opportunity in 2023.
A Vulnerable Population Research has found the period immediately after release from incarceration can pose significant health risks, including an increased risk of drug overdose and suicide. An estimated 63% of people in prisons and 58% in jails meet the criteria for a substance use disorder, according to the Health and Reentry Project, or HARP, a national nonprofit focused on improving access to healthcare for people leaving incarceration. Incarcerated people also have higher rates of mental health and chronic physical health conditions than the general population. The reentry programs are still relatively new, and their impact on health outcomes and continuity of care is still being evaluated. But the challenges people face during the first few weeks after release are well established, said Lisa Barry, Ph.D., MPH, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, who has studied the aging prison population. “It’s just such a high-stress time for people,” she said. “You might not have a place to stay, or just so many problems, kind of all at once.”
PUBLIC SAFETY
A 158,075-square-foot addition to the existing JLEC that will house six modern courtrooms, judges’ chambers, District Court staff offices, and new holding areas for people in custody making court appearances. Photo Credit: Douglas County
Supporting Evolving Needs in Public Safety Facilities By Dena Sattler garage space for equipment and vehicles. Emergency communications and emergency management will be housed in a storm-hardened basement space, When buildings are in operation well past their planned lifespans, law with the sheriff’s office, evidence storage and equipment garages on the main enforcement agencies and their communities miss out on the safety and floor. wellness-related benefits a modern building can provide. Treanor Principal Jeff Lane said Douglas County envisioned a stateAmong the challenges, facilities built many decades ago lack the digital forensics labs or modern cyber-infrastructure that new or renovated buildings can provide, which is fueling a trend toward replacing aging, obsolete law enforcement facilities with more modern designs that blend security, communications and other services — all to help strengthen preparedness and support long-term community growth. Modernization and safety are at the core of one such Justice Facility Exper ts venture in Douglas County, Kan., where an $81.9 million project includes expansion and Keeping facilities safe and secure. consolidation of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center (JLEC) in Lawrence, Kan., and a new Public Safety Building across town. Treanor and JE Dunn Construction are the design and construction team for the ongoing project with three parts: • A 158,075-square-foot addition to the existing w w w.WhiteConst.com | 601.898.5193 JLEC that will house A u s t i n & H o u s t o n , Te x a s • R i d g e l a n d , M i s s i s s i p p i • P a n a m a C i t y B e a c h , F l o r i d a six modern courtrooms, judges’ chambers, District Court staff offices and new holding areas for people in custody making court appearances. • Renovation of part of the existing JLEC with new entrances and separate pathways for people in custody, court staff and judges, and the public — a best practice for modern courthouse design that also will allow future expansion of the courts system. • A new, 37,065-square-foot Public Safety Building to serve as a consolidated, central hub for law enforcement and emergency operations.
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Streamlined Emergency Operations The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, along with emergency communications and emergency management services, will be located in the Public Safety Building, with room for evidence storage and
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PUBLIC SAFETY of-the-art facility that provided better security and safety for emergency weather events or other situations that require stepped-up interaction and coordination among first responders. “What we worked diligently on is to come up with a way to integrate and provide collaboration for both emergency management and emergency communications,” Lane said. It was important to consider that dozens of additional people involved in decision-making might need to be in the building when an emergencymanagement situation develops, Lane said. The emergency management space will have the added benefit of accommodating staff training and other more routine, large gatherings. “Addressing those collaborative needs and technology in that space will allow flexibility to be able to do a multitude of different things,” Lane said. Addressing staff needs was another high priority, he said. The design incorporates staff-friendly entry space with a kitchenette, dining area, fitness space, patio space for workers to take a break, and other amenities for staff who must work 24/7 for long stretches during emergencies or other critical assignments. “We also integrated solutions within the project to allow for flexibility down the road,” Lane said. “For instance, we also provided growth capacity for them. We incorporated access flooring and similar strategies to allow for them to expand technology.”
and built by Topeka-based KBS Constructors features a seven-color palette and other features designed to reduce stress with a “calming approach,” Rucker said, while providing structured programming facilitated by staff and dedicated entities within the community. “Providing access to communication, education and structured routines contributes to rehabilitation and gives inmates the necessary tools to reintegrate successfully,” he said. Along with the therapeutic color palette, other stress-reducing design features include residential-style exterior windows to bring in natural light and create a more natural environment versus traditional slit-style windows, and shower doors that lock against outside intrusion.
Mental Health as a Priority Just under 30 miles to the west, Shawnee County, Kan., is home to a new 60-bed mental health facility separate from the Shawnee County Jail. The first floor with targeted behavioral health stabilization services recently opened, with the new three-story facility scheduled to be fully operational in 2027. Mental health diversion centers are becoming more of a focus as cities and counties pursue pre-arrest deflection spaces to help reduce recidivism and alleviate overcrowding. Behavioral health specialists and corrections specialists at the new Shawnee County Department of Corrections Behavioral Health Unit in Topeka will provide treatment resources designed to help incarcerated individuals make better choices upon their release. “We will provide care for individuals experiencing mental health, emotional and substance abuse challenges,” Major Joe Rucker, Deputy Director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, said. “Our goal is to have a significant reduction in mental distress, suicide risk and substance misuse within the community.” The new facility designed by HTK Architects and HDR
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52 | www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026
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Celebrating 170 Years of Excellence Pauly Jail Building Company · Founded 1856 · Five Generations of Family Leadership Together with industry leaders such as Accurate Controls, Inc., SteelCell World-Class Security Solutions, Titan Steel Door, Modern Detention Equipment, Willoughby Industries, and many others, we provide the expertise, craftsmanship, and innovation required to deliver exceptional results.
In 2026, Pauly Jail Building Company proudly celebrates 170 years of service, innovation, and leadership in the corrections industry. Founded in 1856, Pauly Jail is the nation’s oldest correctional facilities contractor and has spent nearly two centuries building a reputation founded on experience, expertise, integrity, and excellence. Now in its fifth generation of family ownership, Pauly Jail continues to lead the industry by delivering innovative detention solutions to correctional facilities across the United States. While our history is a source of great pride, our success has never been achieved alone.
As we celebrate this milestone, we honor the generations of employees, partners, and customers who have helped shape our legacy. The strength of Pauly Jail has always been found in the people who stand beside us and the relationships we have built along the way.
For 170 years, we have believed that great projects are built by great partnerships. Our accomplishments are the result of a dedicated team effort involving our loyal Ironworkers, talented employees, and trusted manufacturing partners.
Joseph Pauly Pohrer III and Robert Pohrer, fifthgeneration leaders of Pauly Jail Building Company, representing a family legacy of excellence spanning more than 170 years. This photo honors Robert Pohrer’s lasting impact on the company prior to his passing in 2022.
P.J. Pauly, Sr., Founder of the Pauly Jail Building and Manufacturing Co of St. Louis, MO. Joseph Pauly Pohrer Jr. & Jeanne Daigneault Pohrer
170 years strong. Five generations of family leadership. One team committed to building the future of corrections. OUR PARTNERS
NEWS
Utah State Correctional Facility Earns National Healthcare Accreditation SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Corrections announced that the Utah State Correctional Facility has earned accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) after a review of health
services at the state’s Salt Lake City campus. The recognition was granted to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and its Division of Correctional Health Services. With the designation, both Utah’s state correctional
facilities — the Utah State Correctional Facility and Central Utah Correctional Facility — now hold national accreditation. The Salt Lake City facility underwent the accreditation process after operations moved to the 200-acre campus in July 2022. The campus includes more than 3,600 beds across 30 buildings, including an infirmary, housing units and programming spaces, replacing the previous 70-year-old state prison in Draper. A survey team composed of physicians and other correctional healthcare experts evaluated the facility’s compliance with prisonspecific standards, according to the Utah Department of Corrections. Review areas included patient care and treatment, health promotion, safety and disease prevention, governance and administration, personnel and training, special needs and services, and medical-legal issues. “NCCHC accreditation is a milestone that validates our commitment to excellence in correctional healthcare,” said LEARN MORE Dr. Marcus Wisner, Director of Correctional Health Services for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services in a statement. “It reflects our team’s unified vision and dedication to providing ethical, comprehensive care that meets rigorous national standards while setting a new benchmark for our future.” Utah Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Tracy Gruber also credited the Correctional Health Services team with completing the review while CORRECTIONALNEWS.COM/ADVERTISING supporting the transition to the new facility. “This milestone is more than just an award — it represents our ongoing commitment to a high standard of medical ASK US ABOUT THIS 2026 LIMITED EDITION OPPORTUNIT Y and mental health care for the individuals entrusted to our correctional facilities,” Gruber said in the UDC’s July 6 press release. The NCCHC develops consensus-based standards intended to help correctional health professionals and “State Corrections: A Year in Review” administrators improve health outcomes, increase servicedelivery efficiency, strengthen RESERVE YOUR AD PLACEMENT BY OCTOBER 9 organizational effectiveness and reduce exposure to adverse legal Contact sales at sarah@wmhmedia.com judgments.
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ACA STANDARDS
Advancing Safety and Accountability in Correctional Healthcare By David Haasenritter ACA expected practices connect healthcare to the broader correctional mission. They address receiving screening and assessment, access to care, emergency response, medication management, chronic disease, behavioral health, suicide prevention, dental services, infection control, qualified staffing, confidentiality, continuity of care and quality improvement. Together, these requirements establish a coordinated system for identifying health needs at the earliest point of contact and ensuring that individuals receive clinically appropriate services throughout their custody or supervision. Receiving screening helps detect urgent medical conditions, withdrawal risks, communicable diseases, medication needs, and signs of behavioral health crisis or suicide risk, while more comprehensive assessments support individualized treatment planning and follow-up care. Standards governing access to care, emergency response, pharmaceuticals, chronic disease, dental and behavioral health services help agencies establish clear pathways for routine, urgent and ongoing treatment. Requirements for infection prevention, qualified and credentialed personnel, confidential records and continuity during transfer or release strengthen professional Consistent application of ACA healthcare standards strengthens accountability safety, staff preparedness, interdisciplinary communication, and reduce documentation and organizational accountability. gaps in care. Photo Credit: ACA Quality improvement processes enable leaders to review data, identify recurring problems, implement corrective action and verify that changes produce measurable results. Effective implementation helps agencies identify urgent needs earlier, reduce treatment interruptions, protect staff and individuals in custody and make better operational decisions. Community corrections agencies apply these principles through health-risk identification, crisis intervention, case planning, referral and coordination with community providers. Even without full clinical services, they can prevent interruptions in medication, medical treatment, behavioral healthcare and substance-use services. Clear referrals, documented followup, appropriate information sharing and transition planning reduce crises, support supervision compliance and promote stable reentry and public safety.
Why the Standards Matter Consistent application of ACA healthcare standards strengthens safety, staff preparedness, interdisciplinary communication, documentation and organizational accountability. More importantly, it gives leaders a disciplined way to translate performance information into action. Data on access delays, medication interruptions, emergency-response failures, recurring health complaints and discharge-planning gaps can identify systemic weaknesses before they escalate into preventable harm. Armed with this evidence, administrators can target training, staffing, equipment, contracts and other resources where they will produce the greatest operational and clinical benefit. The standards also provide a structured foundation for managing risk and reinforcing public trust. Accreditation cannot eliminate liability; however, reliable records, routine monitoring, timely incident review and documented corrective action demonstrate that an agency has adopted nationally recognized practices, evaluates its performance and responds when deficiencies are identified. Independent review adds another layer of accountability by confirming that the health services unit is prepared to have its policies, practices and outcomes measured against established professional
expectations. Ultimately, compliance is demonstrated through performance — not policy language alone. Agencies must show that expected practices are embedded in daily operations, that outcomes are monitored and that identified problems lead to sustained corrective action. Health records, staffing and credential files, logs, reports, observations, interviews and corrective-action documentation collectively establish whether care is accessible, clinically appropriate, timely and consistently managed. This evidence-based approach turns the standards from written requirements into a practical system for accountability and continuous improvement.
A Framework for Continuous Improvement The greatest value of ACA healthcare standards is realized when they become part of daily management: establish policy, implement practice, collect evidence, evaluate outcomes, correct deficiencies and verify improvement. When leadership supports that cycle and staff understand their roles, the standards become practical tools for safer facilities, stronger health services, more accountable operations and better outcomes for individuals in custody and under supervision.
Standalone Healthcare Accreditation ACA’s three standalone healthcare manuals provide specialized accreditation frameworks for adult correctional institutions, local detention facilities and juvenile facilities. The review focuses on healthcare governance, delivery, documentation and performance while assessing coordination with custody, transportation, sanitation, emergency response and administration. Using nationally recognized, performance-based standards, standalone accreditation strengthens clinical accountability and confirms that qualified health professionals make clinical decisions with effective correctional staff support.
Value Beyond Accreditation ACA healthcare standards provide more than a basis for accreditation; they offer a practical framework for safe, consistent and accountable correctional health services. By defining professional expectations, requiring measurable evidence and promoting coordination among healthcare, custody, and administrative staff, the standards help agencies manage risk, strengthen operations and improve continuity of care. Their greatest impact occurs when leaders use them every day — not simply to prepare for an audit, but to evaluate performance, correct deficiencies and sustain a culture of continuous improvement. In that role, ACA healthcare standards remain essential to professional correctional practice and to the well-being of individuals in custody and under supervision. David Haasenritter is the Director of ACA’s Standards and Accreditation Department. www.correctionalnews.com | september 2026 | 55
CORRECTIONAL HEALTHCARE Correctional Healthcare, from page 45
significantly impacts clinical outcomes. To improve suicide prevention and detox management, facilities should move toward an integrated therapeutic design. This includes: Anti-Ligature Environments: Replace traditional fixtures with recessed, rounded or breakaway hardware to eliminate suicide anchor points.
techniques. This enables officers to de-escalate individuals in distress or those experiencing the early stages of withdrawal without resorting to force. Furthermore, training should include “stigma reduction” modules to ensure that MAT and mental health treatments are viewed as essential tools for facility safety rather than privileges.
Lighting and Acoustics: Utilize natural light and sound-dampening throughout the jail to reduce sensory overload that may exacerbate withdrawal and psychosis.
Facility Design and Environmental Psychology The physical environment of the jail
Dedicated Clinical Spaces: Create areas that feel more like a clinic and less like a processing center, which encourages detainees to be more honest about their medical and mental health needs. Looking to the Future: Artificial Intelligence The potential for artificial intelligence in correctional health is significant, particularly in predictive analytics. AI tools can be used to analyze intake data and historical patterns to flag individuals at a higher statistical risk for self-harm or medical emergencies. For example, an AI system could cross-reference an individual’s prior history of overdose with current biometric data (e.g., heart rate, respiratory rate) captured during intake to alert medical staff to a high probability of withdrawal before symptoms become acute. AI-driven scheduling can also optimize the timing of wellness checks, ensuring that high-risk cells are monitored with a frequency that exceeds minimum standards based on real-time risk assessments. For those on acute status, no more than 15 minutes should pass between rounds, which should be conducted at irregular intervals so it’s impossible to predict staff observation.
From Warehouse to Wellness
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Jails in the U.S. have made great strides over the past decade. While many used to operate primarily as warehouses, absorbing the failures of the public health system, they have largely evolved into centers of stabilization. By focusing on the critical window of intake, embracing the clinical necessity of MAT and leveraging interdisciplinary leadership and technology, facilities can reduce mortality and improve safety for the incarcerated population and correctional and health staff. The goal is not to turn jails into hospitals, but to ensure healthcare is maintained in a way that enhances the security and dignity of the entire institution, while giving those returning to the community the greatest chance at success. Fred Meyer, MA, CJM, is the Managing Director for NCCHC Resources.
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Ad Index PAGE #
For more information on advertising, please contact: sarah@wmhmedia.com Accurate Controls Inc.................................................................28 Acorn Engineering......................................................................25 Actall........................................................................................... 45 American College of Correctional Physicians......................... 56 CareAffirm............................................................................18, 36 Centurion Healthcare.....................................................Cover, 21 CGL............................................................................................. 49 CML Security.............................................................................. 48 Cornerstone...................................................................................5 CorrectPac...................................................................................35 Correctional Healthcare Partners (CHP)............................26, 41 Dewberry................................................................................... 49 DigitalOptometrics......................................................................32 DLR Group.................................................................................. 50 Falcon, Inc.....................................................................................9 The GEO Group..........................................................................52 Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).............................................. 11 International Corrections & Prisons Association...................... 56 JE Dunn Construction..................................................................14 Kenall.............................................................................................7 LEO Technologies...................................................................... 58 Lydig Construction........................................................................8 Millennium Access Control Technology Inc..............................33 ModCorr...........................................................10, 27, 35, 51, 57 Moduform Inc............................................................................. 12 The Moss Group.........................................................................29 Norix Group Inc...........................................................................2 On the Gate LLC.........................................................................15 Pauly Jail Building Company.................................................... 53 Pellerin Milnor Corp.................................................................. 20 R&N Systems Design................................................................. 47 The Rose Report.......................................................................... 55 Securus Technologies................................................................ 39 Shat•R•Shield....................................................................... 40 Sherwood Windows Limited..................................................... 30 Sletten Companies......................................................................37 Southern Folger Detention Equipment.......................................13 STV Inc....................................................................................6, 38 Sustainable Security Solutions.................................................. 46 Tindall Corporation................................................................... 44 Titan Steel Door......................................................................... 44 Treanor Architects...................................................................... 45 Vant4ge.......................................................................................19 VitalCore..................................................................................... 20 West Pond Enterprises................................................................ 31 Wexford Health Sources Inc..................................................... 50 White Construction.....................................................................51 Willo Products Company Inc.....................................................34 Willoughby Industries.................................................................17
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