A Personal Retrospective: In the Eye of the Accreditation Storm (Part I of II)

Intended for those who already see the value of standards for correctional health care and the impact accreditation can have on the field, this article is a personal reflection from the perspective of a recently retired director of accreditation for the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. Based on 11 years in that role, the author discusses issues and controversies in the field. Part I addresses the relationships between correctional and community health care, explores the essence and role of standards, and examines aspects of accreditation. Part II (to be published in Volume 15, Issue 3) focuses on the current ``revolution’’ in correctional health care, keys to continued progress, and how to deal with correctional health care puzzles.