Bill > SB1283

This bill prohibits the Director of the Department of Corrections and regional jail authorities from entering into contracts for the private management, custody, or security of correctional facilities, unless specifically approved by the General Assembly. The legislation renames the existing "Corrections Private Management Act" to the "Corrections Private Services Act" and maintains the ability to contract for other correctional services such as food service, medical care, transportation, education, and maintenance. The bill removes previous provisions that allowed private contractors to propose facility sites without local approval and eliminates automatic permissions for private correctional facility construction. Key changes include restricting private entities from operating entire correctional facilities or managing inmate custody and security, while still allowing them to provide ancillary services. The bill ensures that core correctional functions like inmate classification, disciplinary actions, transfer decisions, and release date calculations remain under government control. Additionally, the legislation modifies several existing sections of Virginia law to reflect these changes, updating references from "Private Management" to "Private Services" and clarifying the limitations on private sector involvement in correctional facilities.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB1283