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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.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Officials at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail (HRRJ) in Portsmouth said an inmate at the facility died early Monday morning. This is the fourth death reported at HRRJ this month. In a release sent Monday afternoon, officials said the inmate was found unresponsive inside the facility around 5:42 a.m. that day. […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Chesapeake Sheriff Jim O’Sullivan decided late Wednesday afternoon to remove his 149 prisoners from the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth. His decision follows a similar one last week by the Norfolk sheriff. HRRJ is fighting a shortage of personnel and a critical federal report. A U.S. Department of Justice report […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Officials at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth said an inmate at the facility died Friday afternoon. Officials said the inmate, identified as Thomas Fludd, was found unresponsive around 12:03 p.m. Friday. Security staff, medical personnel, and Portsmouth Emergency Services responded and attempted to resuscitate him, but were unsuccessful, and […]

The Hampton Roads Regional Jail (HRRJ) says an inmate died Thursday after being in “end-of-life care” for the past few months.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The multiyear legal battle over the Portsmouth City Jail is over — for now. City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to drop its case that asks a judge to order Sheriff Michael Moore to move his inmates to the Hampton Roads Regional Jail. The city and sheriff were currently awaiting a […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A significant staffing shortage at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail has created “health and safety concerns” for security and medical workers at the facility, according to a federal report. 10 On Your Side first uncovered serious staffing issues at the HRRJ in November when investigator Chris Horne interviewed an inmate who […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Less than a year after he was appointed superintendent of the Hampton Roads Regional Jail, Lt. Col. Christopher Walz announced that he is retiring. Walz announced his retirement to the Hampton Roads Regional Jail Authority Board on Monday during a special meeting. His retirement will be effective on Jan. 1, 2021. […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A former corrections officer at Hampton Roads Regional Jail says fears of COVID-19 are causing guards to walk away, creating a staff shortage and a volatile atmosphere. Lebrea Manley, 27, worked as a guard beginning in August 2018. She contracted COVID-19 three months ago, quarantined for two weeks, but she quit […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – A Portsmouth judge approved an $800,000 settlement in a lawsuit against the Hampton Roads Regional Jail’s medical contractor, Correct Care Solutions. Marcia Keeling filed the wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of her son, 18-year-old Davageah Jones, earlier this year. Jones died on May 15, 2018 after jail staff found him unresponsive […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Zechariah Cartledge ran around his school’s track, over and over again, with a flag in hand, to remember Major Jail Officer Robert Sunukjian. “Hello everybody it’s Zechariah. As many of you know I’m running for police officers and firefighters who lose their life in the line of duty in 2020,” said […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Hampton Roads Regional Jail is mourning the loss of a jail officer who passed away after contracting the coronavirus during an outbreak at work.   Master Jail Officer Robert Charles Sunukjian, 48, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 24. The Cambridge, Massachusetts native worked with the jail for more than 16 years. “Over […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Hampton Roads Regional Jail confirmed that an incident occurred on Tuesday night resulting in an officer and supervisor being pepper-sprayed, and another treated for injuries. At 9:30 p.m. inmates in solitary confinement flooded the Housing Area by breaking the sprinkler head and jamming the toilets and sinks. A supervisor and three […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A long-running battle between the Portsmouth sheriff and the city over the fate of the Portsmouth City Jail is expected to take another turn by Sept. 1. A Portsmouth judge said Tuesday that he will make a ruling by Sept. 1 on whether the city must move inmates to the Hampton […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — On May 13, Marcia Keeling filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Hampton Roads Regional Jail on behalf of her son, who died while in the jail’s custody. In 2018, 18-year-old Davageah K. Jones, an inmate in HRRJ, was found unresponsive in his cell and later pronounced dead after live-saving procedures […]

A former inmate of the Hampton Roads Regional Jail is suing the jail for $10 million.

Health district officials say the testing will be held in a drive-thru fashion and will be free to those living in Portsmouth. Residents do have to register and must be pre-screened.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The first day back for in-person court cases started with a big development in the ongoing fight between the City of Portsmouth and the sheriff. At first, Portsmouth Judge Johnny Morrison more or less sided with the city, saying that Sheriff Michael Moore needed to honor the contract between the Hampton […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — As coronavirus infiltrates some jails and prisons in Virginia and North Carolina, facilities are taking steps to keep inmates and staff safe. One mother, whose son is in the Hampton Roads Regional Jail, says she’s concerned about a lack of contact from her son since the facility started isolating COVID-19-positive inmates […]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Nearly a dozen staff and inmates at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday, April 24. The Hampton Roads Regional Jail released the news in a release Friday. The facility says an officer has been self-quarantined at home since the onset of an elevated temperature, […]