By Charles Wilborn
Danville Register & Bee, Va.
CHATHAM, Va. — After pushing the pause button late last year on building a new jail in Pittsylvania County, supervisors on Tuesday evening voted to explore outsourcing the operation by possibly joining the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority .
The decision comes as the county wrestles with the need to build a new jail and courthouse. Also on Tuesday night, supervisors approved awarding a nearly $300,000 contract to Dewberry for a feasibility study on a new court-mandated courthouse.
The current jail in Chatham was built in 1981 and has been overcrowded since the start. It was designed to house 36 inmates, but often holds more than double that amount.
The long process to build a new jail started in August 2023 when a new space — a nearly 33-acre property across from the Pittsylvania Pet Center — was purchased by the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors for $500,000.
Rezoning was approved in December of 2023 for the 91,000-square-foot facility with 146 beds, which could expand to 202.
Completion was expected in November 2027.
With Tuesday night’s approval, the county is now looking to join the regional authority, which currently consists of the localities of Amherst County, Appomattox County, Bedford County, Campbell County, Halifax County and Lynchburg City.
The approved resolution authorizes Pittsylvania County Administrator Vince Shorter to “take necessary steps to negotiate the terms of any agreement” to join the authority.
The resolution was approved in what’s known as a consent agenda. Typically, boards lump routine items into the consent agenda to streamline the voting process.
The consent agenda with the jail item was unanimously approved.
Before the meeting on Tuesday morning, Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Vic Ingram announced his support of the measure in a detailed social media post.
Ingram explained that when he came into office in 2020, there was a plan to build a new jail and courthouse structure in the area that currently houses the administrative office for Pittsylvania County Schools .
“Because of the massive cost and the displacement to the current school system and employees, we refused to move forward,” he said in a statement.
Later, the land on U.S. 29 was purchased and The Mosley Group completed an architectural and engineering design.
In December, the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office presented a jail and infrastructure assessment to the board.
In that study, Ingram noted one particular page that floated the option of joining the regional jail authority.
Meanwhile, the county is subject to a court order to build a new courthouse.
“The reality was simply that we cannot build both a new courthouse and jail,” Ingram said in his post. “These revelations have forced us to look at other financial and viable options.”
Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chair Robert Tucker told the Register & Bee in December that the county had to focus on not only the jail, but the courthouse “at the exact same time.”
As of two years ago, the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office had to shift anywhere from 30 to 50 inmates to sites within the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority because of space limitations. Those facilities are in the counties of Halifax, Bedford, Campbell, Amherst and the city of Lynchburg .
Ingram also noted the current budget for the jail is $6.8 million, which has $475,000 in overtime.
However, due to staffing, the costs are more than $700,000 for overtime.
“This is unsustainable and unacceptable,” Ingram said. “It puts tremendous pressure on current employees and brings forth very dangerous safety concerns.”
That’s when Ingram presented the plan to the board to join the regional group. Doing so would move all of the inmates to one of the authority facilities.
About one-third of the local inmates — including all women — are already housed there because of space issues.
Ingram would like to see a courthouse design — on the site of the current jail — that has a holding/intake facility.
“Joining Blue Ridge will result in substantial savings based on the current jail budget and overtime,” he said.
However, he said his concerns are for the current employees and what’s best for the taxpayers.
“We do have a plan which contains several options that can be discussed at a later date between HR and the Sheriff’s Office,” Ingram said. “Remember, this is not gonna happen overnight, so we ask that you be patient, continue to do a good job and have faith that everything will work out for the best.”
About two dozen employees of the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office — some in uniform, others displaying their badges — sat in the first two rows during Tuesday’s meeting.
It wasn’t until the end of the session, when supervisors were giving individual reports, that the jail subject was briefly discussed.
Tim Dudley , who represents the Staunton River District , acknowledged the group sitting in the audience.
“I know you’ve got some concerns and we are looking out for your best interest,” he said.
That’s when two of the attendees got up to leave.
Ingram was next in line for his closing remarks and also referenced the jail vote on the consent agenda.
He said throughout the day he “begged” with residents to call their board representative and ask questions if they were concerned with an item on the agenda.
“All you have to do is call and ask,” Ingram said. “I am all for people to be involved in local government and come out and ask questions.”
The rest of the sheriff’s office employees left then.
When an aging jail faces chronic overcrowding, staffing shortages and rising overtime costs, is joining a regional jail system a better long-term solution than building and operating a new facility? Why or why not?
—
© 2026 Danville Register & Bee, Va.. Visit www.godanriver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
