Under contract with the City of Roanoke, NaphCare, Inc provides health care for inmates. This is a joint effort by the Sheriff and NaphCare, requiring mutual trust and cooperation. Essentially, the jail physician arranges for the availability of health care services and the Sheriff provides support for accessibility of health services to inmates. Health care services provided to inmates is the sum of all action taken (preventive and therapeutic) to provide for the physical and mental well-being of the inmate population.
All matters of medical (including psychiatric) and dental judgment is the sole province of the Jail Physician, serving as the health authority for the jail and making all final medical judgments. The jail physician is registered and licensed to practice medicine and dispense drugs in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is responsible for providing and supervising all health care services for inmates. It is the policy of the Roanoke City Sheriff's Office to provide adequate space and equipment as determined by the Sheriff and the jail physician.
The medical section is staffed by medical personnel to include:Nurses are assigned to the jail 24 hours a day. It is the goal of the Roanoke City Jail to provide a safe and humane environment to ensure inmates receive adequate medical services in accordance with "Minimum Standards For Local Jails and Lockups," the National Commission on Correctional Health Care standards, and the American Correctional Association standards, as well as state and local laws.
Adequate medical and dental services can increase inmate morale while reducing jail disturbances and civil actions filed by inmates. Inmate medical complaints are addressed during routine medical rounds in the jail. All medical complaints not addressed by the medical staff on routine rounds are brought to the medical department for follow up and disposition on a daily basis. The medical program provides for various on-site diagnostic testing. The jail physician visits the jail weekly to treat those inmates requiring attention. These inmates are placed on the physician's referral list by the medical staff.
There are occasions when an inmate must be referred by the jail physician or medical staff to community health care providers - i.e., hospitals, dentist offices, health centers, clinics, etc. for medical treatment. The jail's transportation section assists the medical program by providing security and transportation to these facilities. The Jail's Medical Section is one of the few facilities in this part of the country to be accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. The Roanoke City Jail operates a Medical Co-Payment Program under the authority of the Code of Virginia. Inmates pay a co-payment for various medical services such as dental visits, sick call, jail/other doctor visits and prescription handling fees. However, medical care is never refused to an inmate because of inability to pay. These co-payments are utilized as a source to off-set the rising costs of medical care.
Individual and group counseling in both alcohol and other forms of substance abuse are conducted in the jail. The counseling sessions are conducted in the jail by the Alcohol Anonymous Central Committee Outreach Program Division from the Alcohol Anonymous Central Committee, Roanoke, Virginia, and Narcotics Anonymous. Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare is located at:
301 Elm Avenue, SW
Roanoke, VA