The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) operates the Appalachian Community Corrections Alternative Program (ACCAP). ACCAP is defined as an evidence-based alternative to prison for nonviolent offenders who have been convicted of a felony. ACCAP provides a structured, healing environment where participants can receive help designed to address criminal thinking, substance abuse disorders, educational and vocational needs. Participants in ACCAP are given the opportunity to

The number one goal for the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) is longterm public safety. As in any other prison system, the VADOC is always looking to enhance its safety and security procedures to fulfill this goal. Looking at the visitation policies and procedures statewide, it was found that the common theme was contraband breaching the secured perimeter. Concerns statewide rose when inmate overdoses increased, prison infractions for contraband grew and the concern

n early 2021, after having dealt with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic for over 10 months, the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) finally began receiving vaccines. Up until the availability of the vaccines, VADOC had experienced the loss of over 50 inmates due to the virus. In addition, the Department lost one of its most prominent leaders of more than 40 years, Warden Earl Barksdale. As a priority group, Virginia’s inmates had access to the vaccine early. In Janu

The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) is responsible for the care, security and well-being of over 30,000 inmates, 60,000 supervisees and 13,000 staff. Our mission is to help people do better. To accomplish this, each person within the VADOC is accountable to ensure that the organization works efficiently, effectively and continuously with minimal disruptions. Agency culture and environment are critical to achieving the agency’s mission. VADOC has adopted a Healing E

In 2018, the Chief of Housing and Program Managers (CHAPS) participated in a survey initiated by the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) to look at a number of challenges the managers were facing. The survey revealed that operational and housing unit issues, inmate classification, along with managing and tracking learning teams for all staff members at their assigned facilities, required a large majority of their time. The large amount of time required for operational

The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) began its Dialogue journey in 2010, and has continued to evolve under the leadership of Director Harold Clarke. Prior to coming to the Virginia Department of Corrections, Director Clarke had already been introduced to Dialogue by Peter Garrett and William Isaacs. Director Clarke realized that Dialogue was the vehicle that could give substance the Healing Environment concept in the VADOC. In order to effect change and create a hea

Facility personnel across the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) began noticing a rise in inmate disturbances. The lead cause indicated that the telephones and showers were being monopolized by the gangs, specifically the Bloods. Their ability to be subtle with the activities caused staff to be unaware of the frustration that had reached a boiling point among the inmates who had no gang affiliation. The non-gang inmate population grew tired of the situation and began

The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) strives to hire trustworthy, dedicated staff and retain their employment for 20 to 30 years of professional service. While this employment strategy contrasts with the five-years-of-service trends in private industry, in corrections the employer and the employee greatly benefit from a long career history. Recently, the VADOC has struggled to hire and retain professional corrections employees. This challenge is widespread across th

This is a companion paper expanding the consideration begun by Harold Clarke and Whitney Barton in their paper, Putting Dialogue to Work in the Virginia Department of Corrections , that was considered at our 2019 conference. That paper described the value of the Working Dialogue as a business practice for the management of organisational change, and gives specific case studies to substantiate this. In this paper I want to explain the thinking that led to the original design o

In 2010, the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) was in transition. The goal of the newly elected Governor was to enhance public safety with a focus on reducing victimization, improving the outcomes for offenders returning to their communities, and reducing recidivism by strengthening re-entry programs. Thus the Virginia Adult Re-Entry Initiative was established. The Governor searched for a new Director for the Department to further that mission. The question for the a

Like all of the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC), by May of 2121 District 34 (Williamsburg Probation and Parole) staff had been figuring out how to effectively work to protect the community, meet probationers’ needs, and balance very different lives at home for just over a year since the Covid-19 state of emergency had been declared. Children were just returning to classrooms after being homeschooled and staff were hoping to find ways to safely bring probationers in

Sometimes an opportunity presents itself to stand back and take a look at what we are doing and how well we are managing. Such a situation arose when our prison District # 11 Probation & Parole unit was invited to participate with the Department of Medical Assistance (DMAS) on a Support Act Planning Grant. The grant is designed to support DMAS’s work to increase substance use disorder (SUD) provider capacity in the State of Virginia and assist the efforts of the Virginia Depa

Sometimes an opportunity presents itself to stand back and take a look at what we are doing and how well we are managing. Such a situation arose when our prison District # 11 Probation & Parole unit was invited to participate with the Department of Medical Assistance (DMAS) on a Support Act Planning Grant. The grant is designed to support DMAS’s work to increase substance use disorder (SUD) provider capacity in the State of Virginia and assist the efforts of the Virginia Depa