‘They need more help’: Rep. Don Beyer details medical challenges at Farmville Detention Center

PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — New details have emerged about conditions inside the Farmville Detention Center following a tour by Virginia Congressman Don Beyer.

On Friday, Aug. 8, Beyer toured the facility in Prince Edward County and spoke exclusively with 8News after his oversight visit. It comes amid a wave of ICE arrests across Virginia. Beyer said the hours-long tour revealed serious medical challenges inside the facility, including strained staff.

“They have an enormous medical burden right now. They have one physician, they’re struggling to get more nurses," he said. "They’re doing heroic work, trying to take care of all these men, but they need more help."

A December 2024 inspection of the facility found 19 violations of ICE detention standards, 12 of which were related to medical care. One repeat violation noted that some health care providers did not conduct mental health evaluations within 72 hours of referrals.

“Another job we have right now is there’s one person with severe mental illness who probably needs to be in a mental hospital… not here,” Beyer said.

At the time of the inspection, the facility was owned by Abyon LLC. In July, Tennessee-based corrections company CoreCivic purchased the detention center. Beyer believes this new ownership could help improve conditions.

“I think CoreCivic taking over was one of the big steps in terms of bringing in a big company with many, many more resources to invest in the things because we want it to be safe for everyone,” Beyer said.

Beyer also spoke directly with several detainees during his visit, many of whom did not have a criminal record, according to data collected by ICE.

“I think even the warden said that, you know, maybe as many as three quarters only have a civil reason for being there... that they came in without proper authorization. You know, they came in illegally,” Beyer said.

Beyer said he wants immigration enforcement to be targeted, not sweeping.

“I think I’m with most Americans that we don’t want just indiscriminate picking up of everyone who’s here without papers because America is the land of immigrants," he said. "We do want the bad guys out. I just hope that ICE is discriminating in the people that they pick up and the people they deport.”

8News reached out to ICE for comment about Beyer’s visit and his findings but did not hear back.