Virginia Department of Corrections

04/09/2026

District 35, Manassas, participated in a school supply drive for Bennett Elementary School in Manassas. Supplies included notebooks, paper, pencils, folders, pencil boxes, crayons, scissors, and glue sticks.

We thank District 35 for their donation and investment in the local youth.

04/09/2026

Four probationers participated in the Celebrate Recovery graduation at the Chesterfield Women's Community Corrections Alternative Program (CCAP). The graduates

Congratulations to our graduates, and we thank the corrections team at Chesterfield Women's CCAP for their dedication to the program and encouraging words during the ceremony.

04/09/2026

Lawrenceville Correctional Center’s new Lead Sergeant Ashley Stith has dedicated the past 8 years to public safety and investing in the growth of the people around her.

Sergeant Stith gives us a look into her day-to-day at Lawrenceville as she continues to grow in her career.

03/09/2026

Looking for a career change, Mr. Timothy Hopkins, Kitchen Supervisor at Green Rock Correctional Center, found his place at the Virginia Department of Corrections. He gains great joy from working with food, learning the recipes, and feeding people. Talk about chicken soup for the soul!

03/09/2026

VADOC will be holding a hiring event on September 15 at our Academy for Staff Development.

🗺️Crozier, VA
🕛9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We will be hiring Corrections Officers for the facilities listed below ⬇️

03/09/2026

The Norfolk Reentry Council will be hosting the Norfolk Reentry Summit on Friday, September 18, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at 1317 E. Brambleton Ave in Norfolk.

This training summit is a special opportunity to build essential skills to provide more effective reentry. Attendees will also hear from formerly incarcerated individuals with lived experience, highlighting what actions from corrections members are most beneficial to the transition process.

Vendors and community partners will be in attendance, providing employment opportunities, treatment services, and more.

Scan the QR code on the flyer for more info.

02/09/2026

The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) and Petersburg Sheriff’s Office teamed up for the annual Petersburg Reentry Forum. Notable guests included Secretary Meador, Secretary of the Commonwealth Candi Mundon King, and Deputy Attorney General Jae K Davenport. VADOC’s Chief Deputy Director Jermiah Fitz shared remarks about our Department’s unwavering commitment to reentry and the partnership between VADOC and the Petersburg Sheriff’s Office.

This year, the forum featured three speakers sharing their lived experience as incarcerated individuals as well as their successes since returning to their families and communities. Notably, one speaker discussed opening his barber shop business and returning to VADOC facilities to share his story of hope to other. This event was livestreamed into facilities across the VADOC so that the messages could be shared with a larger audience, and to those who could really use the stories and messages of hope and reentry.

For those at the forum, many vendors and local resources were there to share their information with those who need it, including VADOC’s own bonding coordinator, Laura Cline.

02/09/2026

At Virginia Correctional Center for Women, Master Corrections Officer (MCO) Raj’ea Black says that the most rewarding part of her position is hearing folks hold themselves accountable. She says that the accountability imparted on the incarcerated population is what helps them gain and remain accountable to themselves and others. As a former Field Training Officer (FTO), MCO Black took the wisdom from her own FTO – who she calls the best! -- and imparted it to her own trainees.

02/09/2026

If you made a decision that had fatal consequences, could you face that every day? Tory Branch did, and he does -- after committing a fatal DUI crash, he's been sharing his story with the mission of making sure others don't make the same bad choice he did. Read more about Tory's story, and hear from Virginia Department of Correction's (VADOC) Cognitive Program Manager Catina Macklin about reentry and hope.

A peer recovery specialist at the McShin Foundation on Dumbarton Road in Richmond is helping others find sobriety — and his path to that work began with a crash that killed a young mother.

01/09/2026

In Case You Missed It:

The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) donated more than 700 children’s books on Wednesday to the Richmond-based nonprofit The Enchanting Bookmobile.

This collection of new or gently used children’s books was organized at VADOC Headquarters in Richmond. On Wednesday, corrections team members and VADOC senior leadership worked together to load the books for distribution.

“VADOC’s donation to The Enchanting Bookmobile is a great opportunity for the agency to give back to the Richmond area,” said VADOC Director Joseph W. Walters. “We are honored to assist with the Bookmobile’s cause of providing access to books during a crucial stage of a child’s development and to contribute to the learning foundations of the next generation. I thank every member of our team who donated to this project.”

“The Enchanting Bookmobile is deeply grateful to the Department of Corrections for donating 700+ books to help us advance our mission of bringing the joy and power of reading directly into the Greater Richmond community," said The Enchanting Bookmobile Executive Director Sarah Matalavage. "Every book we place into the hands of a reader represents an opportunity to spark imagination, strengthen literacy, and open the door to new ideas and possibilities. This generous contribution helps us expand access to literature for children, families, and readers throughout our community, and we are proud to have the Department of Corrections join us in creating a more connected, engaged, and literate Greater Richmond.”

The Enchanting Bookmobile is a nonprofit organization that seeks to get books into the hands of children in the Greater Richmond area to build a love of reading and learning with the city’s youth. More information on The Enchanting Bookmobile and its recent projects can be found on the organization’s website.