The California Medical Association’s (CMA) Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) has accredited 14 counties’ correctional medicine facilities through its Corrections and Detentions Program.

The following counties are currently accredited with IMQ’s Corrections and Detentions Program:

• Marin County – 1 facility


• Nevada County – 1 facility


• Orange County – 3 facilities


• Placer County – 2 facilities


• San Diego County – 2 facilities


• San Mateo County – 1 facility


• Santa Barbara County – 2 facilities


• Santa Clara County – 3 facilities


• Shasta County – 2 facilities


• Solano County – 2 facilities


• Sonoma County – 2 facilities


• Stanislaus County – 3 facilities


• Ventura County – 3 facilities


• Yolo County – 2 facilities

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has recognized the CMA/IMQ accreditation standards as meeting a constitutional level of health services for inmates, and the survey process as a valid tool in measuring  compliance with the standards. The Court found in Shasta v. Wooden that standards developed and evaluated by IMQ surveyors were appropriate to assure a defendable standard of health care.

Accreditation is voluntary, and fewer than half of California counties’ correctional facilities currently pursue accreditation. With county correctional inmates returning to their local communities after exiting jail, properly investing in their health care while in a correctional facility helps prevent many diseases from re-entering the general population.

Accreditation provides impartial guidelines and advice about ways to provide quality care within facilities. IMQ also offers a detailed inspection service based on California’s most recent county jail regulations, Title 15 Medical/Mental Health, Nutrition.

Contact: Kevin Reeder, (415) 882-5132 kreeder@imq.org.