Access to Custody Information

Home Standards Q&A Access to Custody Information

My question relates to the J-I-03 Forensic Information standard. Upon inmates’ admission, our security staff provide health staff with a document that includes demographic information and all criminal charges. This document becomes part of every health record. Will this practice cause us to be out of compliance with this standard?

No, but information about criminal charges is not necessarily appropriate for the health record and should be separate from clinical decision making. Standard J-H-03 Access to Custody Information states that qualified health care professionals should have access to information in the custody record when it may be relevant to the inmate’s health and course of treatment, but placing such information in every health record is not necessary or even advisable. In addition, this forensic information could be inadvertently copied and sent outside of the correctional system when responding to requests for copies of medical records. We recommend the facility reconsider its policy.
— From CorrectCare Volume 26, Issue 1, Winter 2012

Access to Custody Information

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