Cheshire County jail wins national health accreditation; commissioners review budget shifts for tank and bus

Doug, the county corrections superintendent, announced that after a nearly two‑year review the county jail “received full accreditation” from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, saying the two‑year certification affirms the facility meets nationally recognized standards for medical and mental‑health care.

The accreditation followed paper and virtual reviews plus an on‑site inspection that examined medical records and included interviews with inmates and staff. “It involved approximately 250 total standards,” Doug said, and he described procedural changes the jail made, including how medications are administered: staff stopped pre‑pulling medications in the medical office and now pull them individually on housing units during med pass.

Commissioners also considered short‑term budget shifts for maintenance and equipment. Doug proposed repurposing $66,000 originally approved for an HVAC control‑system upgrade together with $80,000 that had been set aside in the commissioner’s recommended budget to buy one replacement hot‑water storage tank this year. Doug said the control‑system work can be suspended because maintenance staff have manually optimized settings and saved energy; the combined funds would cover the tank purchase and installation without asking for new money.

“Compared to the same two months in 2024, they were able to save about 28% of the electrical usage,” Doug told the board when explaining why the control‑system project could be delayed.

Separately, Doug warned the transport bus used for federal inmate transfers is “on its last legs.” Staff set aside $55,000 in a prior budget to cover part of the cost; vendors estimate a replacement at roughly $158,000 and a one‑year build time. Doug said he will ask the executive committee to allow committing the down payment sooner to lock a price and to avoid repeated repair costs and potential disruption to federal inmate transports, which he said generate roughly $1.4 million in annual program revenue for the county.

Commissioners did not adopt immediate separate appropriations during the session; several members said they wanted the executive committee to review the timing of any early commitments or re‑appropriation. The board recorded routine votes later in the meeting, including approval of a requested extension for an EMT’s FMLA absence and adoption of the weekly manifest.

The corrections accreditation and the proposed repurposing of budget lines and capital reserves will proceed through the county’s normal executive and delegation review steps; staff said they will bring the items to the executive committee for approval where required.