In the month of July, 2014 the Commonwealth of Virginia supported 62 local and regional jails and jail farms. Of this number there are 24 county jails, 13 city jails, 23 regional jails and 2 jail farms. City and county jails are operated under the authority of the sheriff in that locality. Jail farms are operated under the authority of the locality they serve by an appointed superintendent. Regional jails are operated under the authority of a regional jail board or authority consisting of at least the sheriff and one other representative from each participating jurisdiction.

A survey of mental illness in Virginia jails was developed by the Department of Behavioral Health & Development Services (DBHDS) and staff of the Senate Finance Committee and Compensation Board. The Compensation Board posted the mental health survey on its website in August 2014 for completion by local and regional jails. With the support of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association and the Virginia Association of Regional Jails, the Compensation Board received surveys from 57 out of 62 local and regional jails.

The goal of the survey was to provide information to the Virginia General Assembly, the Compensation Board and the DBHDS regarding jail resource needs for appropriately managing inmates with mental illness. Survey questions directed jail personnel to report data as reflected for the month of July 2014, with the exception of treatment expenditures which were reported for the entire fiscal year (July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014). The data provided in this report is reflective only of local and state responsible inmates housed in local and regional jails and does not include federal inmates or contract inmates from other states. The data in this report is as reported to the Compensation Board by the local and regional jails in their 2014 mental health survey, submitted as of August 15, 2014. With the exclusion of Newport News City Jail Farm, Alleghany County Jail, Franklin County Jail, Pittsylvania County Jail and RSW Regional Jail, data from 57 out of 62 local and regional jails was used in this report.
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Note: The Newport News City Jail Farm did not respond to the survey, as they indicated that all mentally ill offenders are held at the local city jail. Franklin County Jail indicated that all inmates suspected of being mentally ill are transferred to Western Virginia Regional Jail. Alleghany County Jail and Pittsylvania County Jail did not submit survey data. Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren (RSW) Regional Jail, which now serves Rappahannock County, Shenandoah County, and Warren County, submitted no survey data, as this facility opened June 23, 2014.