About Virginia State Department of Corrections
The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) is the government agency in charge of community corrections and the administration of jails and correctional institutions in Virginia. This agency is fully recognized by The American Correctional Association and is one of the country's oldest correctional entities. Its headquarters are in Richmond, the state’s capital.
The Agency's Background
The Department of Corrections (DOC) manages the state’s adult correctional facilities, which are about 50 in total. Over the years, it has expanded from a small organization with 5,300 convicts and 4,100 workers to a large entity responsible for 31,000 inmates and over 13,000 personnel.
The new Virginia Parole Board established statewide Probation and Parole Services in 1942, which were transferred to the VADOC on July 1, 1974. In 1995, the Statewide Community-based Corrections System was formalized and extended. It consists of:
- 43 Probation and Parole Districts.
- Diversion Centers.
- Detention Centers.
- Drug Court programs.
- Central support units that oversee activities with local correctional institutions.
- The Interstate Compact for Probationers and Parolees.
- Virginia Parole Board employees.
The VADOC believes that increasing public safety improves the quality of life in the Commonwealth. Hence, to do this, it supervises and controls sentencing offenders, provides effective programs and reintegration services in secure places that encourage positive transformation and development, and adheres to research-based evidence, budgetary prudence, and constitutional requirements.
The Department of Corrections is a model disciplinary organization and a known innovator in the field. Because the Department offers excellent services and programs for rehabilitating and monitoring offenders, Virginia is a safer place to live and work.
The Department’s History
From the founding of Jamestown until the late 18th century, when the state capital was transferred to Richmond, Virginia, it utilized corporal and capital punishment as a deterrent. Virginia eventually began using county jails for imprisonment.
After the Revolution, Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson urged the state to erect a "penitentiary house." Across Europe, prisons were being built to house and rehabilitate prisoners. However, the Virginia General Assembly rejected Jefferson's ideas for almost a decade.
In 1796, when a wave of reform swept the Virginia General Assembly, the famous British-American architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820) was hired to build a jail for the newly formed Virginia Department of Welfare and Institutions.
The Latrobe complex overlooks the James River and is west of Richmond. It burned down in 1905 and was destroyed. A successor factory was built and operated until 1992 when it too was demolished. In 1896, a farm for "miscreants and the infirm" was established in Goochland County. The James River Work Center remains operational in the same region.
Probation and Parole Services Agency
On October 1, 1942, the Commonwealth of Virginia formed the Probation and Parole Services Agency, based on the "Community Corrections" idea and policy. Combined the Virginia Department of Welfare and Institutions, the Virginia Parole Board, and the Virginia Department of Probation and Parole Services in 1944. The VADOC presently oversees all prisons in the state.
Structure Of The Organization
The VADOC is a division of the Virginia Office of Public Safety. In addition, it has three divisions that report to the director; however, they each have their own deputy director:
- Operations, Re-entry & Programs.
- Communication.
- Administration.
The Chief of Corrections Operations oversees daily operations, probation, and parole. The Operations department ensures VADOC complies with the PREA and the ADA (ADA). Community Corrections also conducts risk assessments for the courts and assists victims of sexual offenders.
Moreover, Re-entry & Programs, Communication, and Victim Services are all under the supervision of the Chief Deputy Director.
Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance, and Virginia Correctional Enterprises are among the key business operations that the Deputy Director of Administration manages.
Understanding The Virginia Correctional System
The VADOC manages state prisons and detention centers. It oversees 41 state prisons and is part of the Virginia Office of Public Safety. Only one of them is a private state jail. Thus, the GEO Group runs the Lawrenceville Correctional Center.
The VADOC maintains facilities in three regions: Eastern, Western, and Central. These agencies oversee 12, 15, and 14 state prisons and detention centers, respectively. You may view the VADOC Facilities and Offices directory for addresses and phone numbers.
Virginia has both state and private prisons, as well as county and regional jails. The sheriff's office manages the county prisons, whereas private companies under the jurisdiction of the state manage the regional jails.
Virginia DOC Inmate Records
All official documents about individuals in Virginia prisons, correctional institutes, and jails are Virginia inmate records. Some of these documents include personal information, while others are administrative records that explain an inmate's status as an offender and where they are being held. Furthermore, the majority of these documents are open to the public upon request.
How To Acquire Inmate's Records In Virginia
The Virginia FOIA, 2.2-3700 et seq., grants people of the Commonwealth access to prison and jail records. Submit a FOIA request to the institution that has these documents to see and copy them.
In addition, send a request for offender information to the Warden or Superintendent of a state prison under VADOC using the contact information shown in the directory. You have the option of submitting your request in person.
- Phone.
- Email.
- Fax.
- U.S. mail
Any anyone may request particular records, including electronic documents if they are accessible. Furthermore, there is no need for the request to provide a purpose for requesting prisoner data.
Use the "Contact Us Form" on VADOC's website to seek additional sorts of jail documents, or phone or mail a request to the following address:
Virginia Department of Corrections, P.O. Box 26963. Richmond, VA 23261.
Phone number: (804) 674-3000
In another perspective, if you want to acquire prisoner and jail records from a county or regional jail in Virginia, you can visit the official websites of the Sheriff's Office (for county jails) or the regional jail's website. However, if you do not get the information you are looking for, you can contact the jail's FOIA Officer or Warden.
Virginia Inmate Search
County and regional jails in Virginia have their own inmate search databases. These are usually available on the web pages hosting their information. Hence, to search for an inmate in a county or regional jail, visit its page on a county's, Sheriff's, or facility website and find the inmate name/population search tool.
However, if there is no way to search the jail population online, contact the facility directly to enquire about individuals held there. To search, you have to indicate their names or their VADOC inmate I.D. On the search, you may be able to find details, unlike on the Virginia Offender Locator.
Virginia Offender Locator
If an offender is in the care of the VADOC, you may look up their location and release date. However, note that the search results will not include offenders who are not in the custody of the VADOC.
Users have to submit the following information for all searches:
- The initial letter of the offender's first name.
- Their real last name.
- Offender's seven-digit VADOC ID number.
VADOC updates the data on the offender locator website daily. Hence, it represents the most up-to-date information available. However, VADOC does not permit the specific details of inmates to the public.
To narrow your search, individuals may include specific personal information of the inmate. Hence, they may provide the inmate:
- Middle name.
- Alias.
- Sex.
- Race.
- Current location.
- Expected release date.
- Age range.
Virginia Sex Offender
The Virginia State Police has a searchable database of sex offenders in the state. Individuals may conduct these Searches using both a name and a place.
Following a search, all results that match the information you give will appear. In addition, a modest picture, legal name, alias, and main residential address are all included in the results.
When you click on a name or picture, you'll be sent to an offender details page with a bigger photo, a thorough physical description, and information on the offense they committed.
Most Wanted Criminals In Virginia
The VADOC releases a list of the state's most wanted fugitives, including images, birth dates, and a general physical description.
Virginia State Prisoner Lookup
Friends and family members may use the facility's website to seek a loved one and their present location. The majority of the state's facilities update their information daily to guarantee that it is correct and full.
The prisoner lookup on the V.A. Department of Corrections provides all the details, including race, date of birth, and release date.
To lookup up a prisoner or convict in the Virginia State prison, simply type the inmate's initial name, last night's date, or I.D. number into the search box. Additionally, having the inmate's BOP register, INS, DCDC, or FBI number would be beneficial.
It is significantly simpler to find a prisoner if you know this information. If you're having problems finding a prisoner, try contacting the state prisons of incarceration.
If you obtain many results from a single search, you may use certain information like the inmate's imprisonment date and the offense they committed to filtering out the inmate's name.
