Hampton Roads Regional Jail is set to close April 2024, according to Undersheriff Marvin Waters with the Portsmouth Sheriff's Office.
News 3 obtained a copy of a letter sent to staff.
The inmates will be returned to their home jurisdiction, and they have already started pulling out Portsmouth inmates, Undersheriff Waters confirmed.
Undersheriff Waters tells us the inmate population has been decreasing over the last few years.
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According to information sent to News 3 by Robert Geis, the Deputy City Manager for the City of Chesapeake, who is also listed as an alternate board member for the Hampton Roads Regional Jail, the HRRJ staff was notified by Board leadership Thursday that the HRRJ Board of Directors will take a vote on the cessation of operations at the facility at the next Board of Directors meeting.
Geis' email stated, "the Regional Jail was created to provide housing for inmate overflow from the four, and now five municipal jails. The City Managers from Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton, and Chesapeake have determined the operations at the facility are no longer sustainable and intend to cease inmate operations by April 01, 2024. The Regional Jail staff are valued members of this team and the Board of Directors intend to compensate those who remain with the facility as well as assist employees with job placement at our local jurisdictions or other locations to ensure a smooth transition after the facility ceases operations."
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Waters said the facility can house up to 1,300 inmates, but currently only has 200.
Stay with News 3 for updates.
