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Sheriff Patrick McDermott is proud to announce that the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office has once again been recognized and awarded accreditation by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) for offering excellent health care and mental health services at its correctional facility in Dedham.The reaccreditation recognizes the longstanding commitment of the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office (NSCO) to provide quality health services for its incarcerated population.
“This accreditation and the findings of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care are a testament to the dedication of our Health Services Unit,” said Sheriff McDermott. “I am grateful for our medical team’s expertise and for their daily collaboration with our correctional officers to ensure the treatment of individuals in our custody is delivered in a way that meets or exceeds national standards, which contributes to the overall safety of our facility.
”Auditors from the NCCHC visited the sheriff’s correctional center over three days in October 2025 to review thirty-six essential standards, including patient care and treatment, health promotion, safety and disease prevention, governance and administration, personnel and training, special needs and services, and medical-legal issues.
The Norfolk County Sheriff's Office was found to be 100% in compliance with those standards in a 61-page report issued on April 23, 2026.“I would like to applaud Assistant Deputy Superintendent of Health Services Tara Flynn, a registered nurse with more than two decades of correctional experience, who leads our Health Services Unit with dedication, compassion, and care,” said Sheriff McDermott.
“ADS Flynn and Mental Health Director Anne Collins work closely with a team of licensed medical and mental health professionals and our highly trained correctional officers, and their many accomplishments are reflected in this incredible report card from the NCCHC.”
"By continuing to achieve NCCHC accreditation, the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office has demonstrated its commitment to quality, and standards-based correctional health care,” said Deborah Ross, CCHP, NCCHC chief executive officer. The NCSO Health Services Unit recorded some 7,500 medical encounters in FY25 including 1,600 health intake screens, nearly 900 health physicals and more than 600 dental exams. The NCSO’s mental health team reported some 5,600 clinical encounters, while addressing the needs of more than 1,700 inmates with a mental illness diagnosis.
While at the facility in Dedham, auditors from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care toured the clinic area, inmate housing areas, intake/receiving area and special management unit and medical/mental health observation cells. They also reviewed health records, policies and procedures, interviewed many members of the facility’s various correctional teams, and spoke with multiple incarcerated individuals, selected at random.
The findings from National Commission on Correctional Health Care report show:
- The NCSO has excellent access to care for all disciplines.
- All health assessments are conducted within a day of an individual’s arrival.
- Mental health is well integrated with health care services.
- The clinic is spacious, well equipped, clean, and routinely monitored.
- The facility has a robust medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program.
- An excellent integration of health services with custody operations.
- Correctional officers are 100% current in CPR training.
- Discharge planning is well coordinated with the reentry services team.
- Nursing coverage is 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
The Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office was first accredited by the NCCHC in 1989, and the office has maintained its commitment to meeting NCCHC requirements and standards since then. The standards help correctional facilities improve the health of their inmates and the communities to which they return.
The Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office has also been accredited by the American Correctional Association since 1996. The last two audits by the ACA showed the same perfect findings in meeting the association’s rigorous national standards, according to the Sheriff.
