Answer to Question 1
The provision of health services in jails is the responsibility of the sheriff. Some jurisdictions require screening (upon intake) for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and venereal diseases, but all jails perform medical examinations after booking procedures have been completed. Some courts have required the screening of intoxicated persons and continuous monitoring throughout the detoxification period. This is an essential precaution, because intoxication often masks symptoms of fractures, diabetes, and illnesses that could be mistaken for drunkenness.
Answer to Question 2
The three primary purposes for jails are (1) to detain those awaiting trial after arrest; (2) to hold those being transferred to a state or federal prison or mental facility; and (3) to incarcerate those serving a sentence of less than a year for a minor crime (misdemeanor).
Critical thinking and implementing care
An example of an intake screen in an electronic health record.
Types of Health Maintenance Organizations
Health and Race-Ethnicity
A health care professional taking a radial pulse and common pulse points.
National Patient Safety Goals for Acute-Care Hospitals