The Professional Standards section is responsible for compliance with DOC regulations. This section also works in partnership with the Jail Medical Staff to maintain compliance with NCCHC. All correctional programs and facilities operate under minimum standards that are designed to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of staff and offenders within a correctional setting. The Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC), Regulations Governing Certification and Inspection, serve as a necessary enforcement mechanism in monitoring the minimum standards so that local jails, state correctional facilities, residential centers, probation and parole offices and other correctional programs and facilities may be evaluated through a uniform process and be certified as efficient and safe. The National Commission of Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) is a voluntary accreditation that governs the quality of health care in jails, prisons and juvenile confinement facilities by setting standards for health services. These standards cover areas of health care services, mental health services, health record management, administration, personnel and medical-legal issues. An external peer review determines whether a correctional institution meets these standards, renders a professional judgment of the agency, and assists in the improvement of services provided.