By Sarah Roebuck
Corrections1
RICHMOND, Va. — Members of the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC), including corrections staff, inmates and probationers, are supporting Virginians and partner public safety agencies as they recover from the destruction left by Hurricane Helene in Southwest Virginia.
Chainsaw crews from Appalachian Community Corrections Alternative Program (CCAP), Bland Correctional Center, Marion Correctional Treatment Center, Patrick Henry Correctional Unit, River North Correctional Center and Wise Correctional Unit quickly began clearing storm debris and fallen trees on Sept. 27, VADOC said in a news release. These teams, comprising corrections staff and supervised inmates or probationers, have cleared hundreds of miles of roads in areas like Independence, Damascus and High Knob. Their efforts have made it safer for River North employees to commute and enable first responders to reach affected communities.
“We could not be prouder of our staff for how they rose to this great challenge, for how they continue to perform to safely operate the facility, and for how they are supporting the community relief efforts with a vigorous purpose and passion,” said River North Correctional Center warden Rodney Younce. “This is vital work, especially because these are the communities our staff and their families live in.”
During the storm cleanup, a chainsaw crew saw a large tree fall onto a car, VADOC said. Staff from River North quickly stepped in, cutting the tree and freeing the vehicle, which then drove away safely. Fortunately, no one in the car was hurt.
VADOC team members also delivered thousands of meals to areas devastated by the storm.
