I recently attended the annual conference of the American Jail Association (AJA) in Omaha. AJA President Louis Quinones has made mental health a primary focus for the year ahead, and I commend him for taking on such a critical topic. I was very pleased to see many custody, legal, medical, and mental health professionals in attendance and teaching courses geared toward the applied aspects of jail operations.

A key theme of the AJA event was building partnerships to improve jail operations. NCCHC had a strong presence at the conference; we taught several classes and are working with AJA leaders to increase collaboration and engage as force multipliers. We have a shared mission to provide efficient and effective care, custody, and control of those individuals housed in our nation’s jail systems.

As a retired jail administrator, I have attended many AJA events over the years, but none were as personally and professionally impactful as this conference. Seeing jail leadership, medical and mental health providers, attorneys, and other experts come together to discuss the best methods to improve operations gave me hope and motivation. As I begin my term on the AJA Board of Directors, I am committed to working with all stakeholders to improve all aspects of our nation’s jails.

NCCHC is at the forefront of accreditation, certification, and health care consulting. Our partnership with the AJA will improve health care and safety in jails, prisons, and juvenile detention facilities.

As always, thanks for everything you do…your efforts are recognized and appreciated!

by Fred W. Meyer, MA, CJM, CCHP, managing director, NCCHC Resources, Inc. Want to talk? Pick a time or contact him at info@ncchcresources.org.