PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — There are no more inmates inside the walls of the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth. Its cells have been empty for more than a week, as inmates have since been moved to their home jurisdictions.
Kelly Curry, executive assistant for the Hampton Roads Regional Jail, told 10 On Your Side that April 1 is the last day for the jail. She added, board members paid off a roughly $14.4 million bond.
All inmates were moved out of the jail as of March 20 according to Bob Geis. He serves on the Hampton Roads Regional Jail Authority, which will stay in place for about two years.
Portsmouth city leaders are still sorting out the future of the facility and its site. When asked if the city is purchasing the building, a spokesperson told 10 On Your Side they are still in negotiations. They cannot release any more details.
The jail originally opened back in 1998 with the intent to house inmates from Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Portsmouth. Chesapeake started using the facility in 2016.
Since opening, the jail became tied up in legal issues, including a two-year investigation from the Department of Justice. They found the jail violated the rights of inmates with mental health issues and disabilities.
Lt. Col Anderson, assistant superintendent of the jail, called this a bitter sweet moment in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
