PORTSMOUTH, Va. — After 25 years, the Hampton Roads Regional Jail (HRRJ) that five local cities once relied on is set to close by April 1, 2024.
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 in 2016.
Now, 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 said. "It just became apparent that the model was failing, and we weren't going to be able to continue to operate."
In 2019, the inmate population at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail hit 900, and the facility employed more than 300 people. As of late October 2023, the numbers dropped to less than 300 inmates with a staff of 155.
Geiss said being short staffed kept them from jailing more people for safety reasons.
One day before the announcement, jail officials confirmed a female inmate died by suicide in her cell.
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.
So, what does the closure mean for local cities?
Since Hampton's city jail is currently undergoing renovations, Hampton Vice Mayor Jimmy Gray said leaders are in talks to use the Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Suffolk, which is roughly the same driving distance to the Portsmouth facility.
In Norfolk, a city spokesperson said City Manager Pat Roberts will make recommendations to city councilmembers next spring.
"As part of the FY 2025 budget process, city staff are looking at all resource needs, and the city manager will make recommendations to council in the spring of 2024," said Kelly Straub, a spokesperson for the City of Norfolk.
All Newport News inmates will be housed at the Newport News City Jail, according to a spokesperson for the sheriff's office. As of late October, 95 Newport News inmates were housed at the HRRJ.
Geiss is also a deputy city manager in Chesapeake and said it costs them twice as much to use HRRJ than their own jail.
"Overall, we're going to save money," he said. "There's no doubt we're going to save millions of dollars a year."
The contract required the City of Chesapeake to pay for 250 beds each year, whether they used them or not. Now, Geiss says they plan to hire more deputies and upgrade the local jail's mental health facilities
"Ultimately, we all have to be good stewards of our taxpayer money," he said.
In some cases, like for the City of Portsmouth, the closure opens up new possibilities.
City leaders are on record saying they are interested in buying the facility. It's a deal Portsmouth Sheriff Michael Moore would gladly take.
"My fight has always been to do what's best for the city of Portsmouth," Moore explained.
The sheriff has long argued the city should pull out of the regional jail agreement and invest in local facilities.
Right now, Portsmouth pays more than $4 million to hold dozens of spots at the regional jail.
But since he's been in the office, Moore says they've sent no more than 13 inmates at a time, while the Portsmouth City Jail averages more than 100 empty beds.
"To me that was valuable taxpayer money that was being spent that was unnecessary because we didn't need that facility to house our inmates," Moore said. "We didn't have an overcrowding problem."
Moore allowed 13News Now access inside the Portsmouth City Jail to share why he thinks the 50-year-old building needs to be replaced. The sheriff prefers the city to build a new facility, but he'd support moving into the newer regional jail.
"I'm just glad to see some light and some movement because time is not on our side because of the facility that functions as the Portsmouth City Jail," he said.
No deal is in place between the board and the City of Portsmouth, according to Geiss.
Right now, the goal is to move inmates to other facilities and help jail employees find new jobs.
The board is working with local sheriffs and municipalities to help HRRJ staff find employment, along with hosting a job fair. Geiss emphasized the importance of the jail's staff in terms of keeping the facility operational, and he expressed his gratitude for their dedication.
"We want to make sure that they know they are valued and we need them," he said.
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.