PORTSMOUTH, Va. — After 25 years, the Hampton Roads Regional Jail (HRRJ) that five local cities once relied on will close for good on Friday, March 29.
Earlier this week, jail authority board members passed a resolution to pay off a $14 million bond.
The decision to close the jail came last year after a string of inmate deaths. The nearly 50 inmates who are still incarcerated at HRRJ will be moved to other local jails in the coming days.
In 1998, leaders of Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, and Portsmouth agreed to open the regional jail to end overcrowding at their own facilities. Chesapeake joined the group in 2016.
According to HRRJ Board Chairman Bob Geiss, rising costs and an inability to hire staff left the board no other choice but to approve closing the jail.
"It was a long process. This wasn't a decision that was made lightly or quickly," Geiss told 13News Now last year. "It just became apparent that the model was failing, and we weren't going to be able to continue to operate."
In 2018, a Justice Department report found jail conditions likely violated the constitutional rights of inmates after multiple deaths prompted an investigation. The regional jail board later agreed to improve medical and mental health care at the facility.
Geiss said the initial report did not factor in the board's unanimous vote to close, citing strides to make good on their agreement. However, the deal required the jail to increase its staffing, and that proved difficult.
"We were working on mental health and medical, but all of it required additional staffing," he explained.
In the process of reaching a decision, Geiss said the jail's closure was not the first option considered.
He said the board mulled over the idea of closing all of the local city jails, but that was not tenable. They also considered reducing the number of cities as part of the original deal, as well as transitioning the HRRJ into a mental health facility.
All staff will receive a $10,000 bonus and continue to be paid until the facility closes. Geiss said the board did not want to close without a plan for employees and ensuring cities can house inmates.
The regional jail authority will remain for two years after ceasing inmate operations, per legal requirement. The jail will house a small number of staff for record-keeping and other items.