History of the Jail

Western Tidewater Regional Jail Authority

The Authority was created on November 11, 1990 between the City of Suffolk, Isle of Wight County, and the City of Franklin. The property was donated by the City of Suffolk and is located at 2402 Godwin Blvd, Suffolk, VA 23434. Groundbreaking commenced on March 3, 1991 with actual operations beginning on July 15, 1992.

The Authority added an additional 180 bed housing unit in the late 1990’s. This unit was funded by Federal Grant Funds and contributions from the three member jurisdictions.

The Regional Jail is the sole detention facility for the three member jurisdictions. The facility is rated by Virginia Department of Corrections for 552 inmates and has a total bed count of 1070. In addition to holding inmates from the three member jurisdictions we also contract and hold inmates from the United States Marshal Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The facility is certified to hold both male and female adult inmates as well as juveniles.

There are over 60 programs to aid in reducing recidivism and range from educational programs such as GED preparation and testing classes to substance abuse counseling, family management, and anger management skills coaching. There are numerous religious activities in which inmates may participate. Additional programs include Work Release, Work Force, Facility Worker Program and Home Incarceration Program.  See the Current Programs link on Home Page.