NCJ Number
64727
Date Published
1977
Length
112 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT EVALUATES THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION'S FIRST-YEAR EFFORT TO DEVELOP STANDARDS FOR HEALTH CARE IN JAILS. THE EFFORT IS A STEP TOWARD IMPLEMENTING A NATIONAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.
Abstract
THE 3-YEAR PROGRAM COMPRISED THESE COMPONENTS: (1) THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODEL HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEMS; (2) THE CONSTRUCTION OF MINIMUM STANDARDS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A NATIONAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM; AND (3) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE ON JAIL HEALTH. FIRST YEAR EMPHASIS WAS ON THE DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT. THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (AMA) WAS TO SELECT SIX STATE MEDICAL SOCIETIES WHO WOULD IN TURN SELECT JAILS IN THEIR AREAS TO SERVE AS PILOT PROJECTS. THE MAJOR TASK AT THIS LEVEL WAS TO DOCUMENT EXISTING HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND TO IDENTIFY THE MOST PRESSING HEALTH CARE NEEDS. THE STATE PROJECTS WERE REQUIRED TO PERFORM A NUMBER OF TASKS TOWARD THE NATIONAL PROGRAM'S GOALS. PILOT PROJECTS WERE EXPECTED TO EXPERIMENT WITH VARIOUS WAYS OF DELIVERING HEALTH CARE IN JAILS, TO REVIEW THE STANDARDS, TO PROVIDE TEST SITES FOR THE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM, AND TO BECOME THE INITIAL RECIPIENTS OF THE CLEARINGHOUSE MATERIALS. THE NATIONAL ROLE WAS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE PILOT PROJECTS, AS WELL AS TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND ASSISTANCE. GIVEN THIS MUTUALLY DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP, THE SUCCESS OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAM DEPENDED ON HOW WELL THE PILOT PROJECTS DID THEIR JOB. THE STATES WERE MICHIGAN, WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN, MARYLAND, INDIANA, AND GEORGIA; THIS EVALUATION RATES THEIR EFFORTS AS SUCCESSFUL. MOREOVER, THE CLEARINGHOUSE WAS ESTABLISHED, AND MATERIALS GENERATED FOR IT BY THE PROJECTS EXCEEDED REQUIREMENTS. ONLY THE TESTING PROCESS FOR STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES WAS NOT WHOLLY SATISFACTORY, BUT THIS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE FIRST YEAR'S GOALS. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. AN ABBREVIATION KEY, CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND CHARTS SHOWING DISTRIBUTION OF CLEARINGHOUSE MATERIALS ARE APPENDED.