PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – 10 On Your Side has confirmed both the Norfolk and Chesapeake sheriffs will likely be pulling their inmates from the troubled Hampton Roads Regional Jail (HRRJ) in Portsmouth.
Sheriffs in both cities issued statements to WAVY, saying they are concerned about staffing numbers declining and the safety of their inmates, as a result.
The Hampton Roads Regional Jail is a facility designated to hold sick and ailing inmates from all over the area. Over the years, 10 On Your Side has reported on several inmates dying there.
HRRJ has reported four inmate deaths in February 2021 alone. 49-year-old Keith Andre Robinson collapsed in the kitchen on Feb. 4 and died. That same day, 74-year-old William Felton died at Maryview Medical Center; he had been under “end of life care” according to jail officials. Another inmate, Thomas Fludd, was found unresponsive and pronounced dead on Feb. 19 and the HRRJ confirmed the death of inmate Michael A. Goode on Feb. 22.
Chesapeake Sheriff Jim O’Sullivan plans to attend the next board meeting, which is scheduled for Wednesday, March 17. According to a spokesperson, if there is no strategic plan to make immediate changes at that time, he is prepared to remove all of Chesapeake’s inmates from HRRJ over the next two months.
“Sheriff O’Sullivan feels he has a duty to act as staffing numbers at the jail continue to decline. Sheriff O’Sullivan and (Norfolk) Sheriff Baron discussed their concerns several times before reaching their decisions,” said Janelle Scott, with the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office.
Norfolk Sheriff Joe Baron provided this statement to WAVY News 10:
“This is not a decision made lightly. For many months, I maintained optimism that the Hampton Roads Regional Jail’s leadership would put in place a concrete plan to meet the mandates set by the Department of Justice Consent Decree. This mandate includes an increase in security staffing. However, continual staffing shortages and lack of a plan to both overcome those shortages and also become compliant with the consent decree has led to my decision to remove all remaining ‘Norfolk’ inmates from the Regional Jail. My goal is that this move reduces stress on staffing and gives the board time to consider next steps forward.”
Both sheriff’s follow Portsmouth Sheriff Michael Moore, who made a decision in January 2019 to stop sending inmates to HRRJ.
While Portsmouth City Council sued to force Moore to use the beds at the jail they were still paying for, the case was later dropped. Taxpayers of Portsmouth continue to pay nearly $6 million a year to the jail for the beds they don’t use.
10 On Your Side uncovered staffing issues at HRRJ in November. A couple weeks later, an independent monitor hired by HRRJ issued his formal report, stating that it was “critical” for HRRJ leadership to find a solution for the staffing shortage.
“Due to this shortage, there are not enough officers to provide coverage for pill pass, routine visits by medical and mental health staff, and to escort inmates to appointments in the clinic area. This has led to health and safety concerns for both security and healthcare staff,” he wrote.
In 2018, the Department of Justice found that the conditions at HRRJ were in violation of inmates’ basic constitutional rights and protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Click here to read the DOJ findings.
This is a developing story. Stay with WAVY News 10 on air and online for updates.