‘I believe now is the time’: Director of Virginia’s prisons on the way out as understaffing runs rampant
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The top dog of the Virginia Department of Corrections’ last day is Friday, Jan. 16. While the department boasted Director Chadwick Dotson's successes, some lawmakers say other mounting issues show it's time for the change.
The changing of the guards comes as Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger is set to be sworn in on Saturday, Jan. 17.
Dotson has been in the role since September of 2023 after being appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Chadwick Dotson (Courtesy of the VADOC)
The department thanked him for his service and boasted his crackdown on drugs in the prisons, creating the Virginia Model, a program where inmates are rewarded for good behavior, and having one of the lowest recidivism rates in the country.
"During his tenure, Director Dotson positioned the agency to effectively fight modern challenges facing corrections systems across the U.S.," the department said in a statement.
But Delegate Mike Jones, a Democrat for District 77 and soon-to-be state senator, said other mounting issues in the VADOC show it’s time for a change.
“Anyone who serves, I’m always appreciative to them for their work and their ethic. I believe now is the time though," he said.
Jones hasn't been shy about his grievances with the VADOC, even picketing with inmates’ loved ones in October calling for Director Dotson to step down.
Dotson’s departure comes on the heels of a tumultuous time in the VADOC. 8News' own reporting has covered rampant understaffing and Jeremy Hall, the first officer killed on the job in 50 years.
Dotson was director for under two and a half years. His predecessor, Harold Clarke, was director for 13 years under four governors -- two Republicans and two Democrats. Clarke retired in 2023, and Dotson was then appointed by Youngkin.
Delegate Jones said he’ll be introducing legislation where the VADOC won’t be allowed to transfer inmates from other states into the Commonwealth’s prisons, but rather focus on rehabilitation for Virginia's inmates. The tactic is typically used for profit reasons.
“Truly focus on rehabilitation," Jones said. "Not just incarceration, not just housing. We know at a lot of these facilities individuals are in there, they’re not receiving the treatment, the education, the workforce development that they need.”
The biggest question is who Governor-elect Spanberger will replace Dotson with. 8News reached out to her office and has not heard back at the time of this reporting.
