Project History

The Western Virginia Regional Jail was built to alleviate the overcrowded and potentially unsafe conditions in the local jails of the four localities that formed the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority in 2005. The local jails were operating at two to three times their rated capacities.

The decision to build a regional jail rather than expand or renovate the local jails was based in part on the state’s funding mechanism which reimburses up to 50% of the cost of a regional jail but only 25% of the cost of a local jail. In addition, the local jails were situated in such a way as to make it difficult to successfully renovate or expand them.

The Authority received an exemption from the state moratorium on new jail construction and, after holding a series of community meetings to introduce the project to the public, a 43-acre tract of land was purchased in the Dixie Caverns area of Roanoke County, and ground was broken on the regional jail project in February 2007.

The Superintendent and his transition team began work in January 2008 after undergoing training provided by the National Institute of Corrections. The transition team was responsible for all the necessary tasks that needed to be completed from construction details and security measures to hiring personnel and contracting the medical and food services.

Transition Team

  • Superintendent Charles I. Poff, Jr
  • Deputy Superintendent Bobby D. Russell
  • Major David F. Cox
  • Major Gregory P. Winston
  • Captain Timothy A. Allen
  • Captain Lisa P. Winston
  • Lieutenant Amanda K. Tuck
  • Sergeant Lori M. Fadorick
  • Sergeant Deborah L. Hamlet
  • Sergeant Charles A. Karr
  • Sergeant Rachel L. Wylie
  • Mary V. Brandt, Administrative Secretary
  • Cheri N. Lankford, Business Manager
  • Timothy D. Lisk, Investigator
  • Dale Mitchell, IT Manager
  • James P. Slusher, Maintenance Supervisor
  • Letitia A. Smith, Human Resources Manager
The Western Virginia Regional Jail was formally dedicated on March 6, 2009, in a ceremony attended by state and local dignitaries and members of the public. The Jail received its first inmates on April 9, 2009.

Architects & Engineers

  • Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern
  • Thompson & Litton

Early Site - Contractor

Branch Highways

General Contractor

Howard Shockey & Sons

Construction Management

  • Arcadis
  • Construction Dynamics Group

Department of Corrections

Brooks Ballard & Mark Kirk