PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Hampton Roads Regional jail opened back in 1998, originally meant to house inmates from Portsmouth and neighboring cities. Though it closed on April 1, 2024, it was put to use again on Sunday.
A fire at the Portsmouth city jail forced them to evacuate nearly 200 inmates and bring them to the Hampton Roads Regional Jail, according to authorities.
During its 26 years in service, the facility got caught up in multiple legal issues. This includes a two-year Department of Justice investigation, where they discovered the jail violated the rights of inmates who had mental health issues and disabilities.
Since the regional jail closed, the city of Portsmouth started a plan to potentially buy and renovate the facility. City leaders are proposing a $46.5 million plan to get this done. They are holding a public hearing for it at 7 p.m. during the Tuesday night city council meeting.
10 On Your Side spoke with Sheriff Moore over the weekend, where he told us the Portsmouth city jail that is still in service is more than 50 years old.
A family member 10 On Your Side spoke with at the scene of the fire went into detail about her son dealing with bad conditions as an inmate, like air conditioning not working much of the time.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.