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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>85635</law_id><section_number>53.1-1</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-1705</reference><reference>15.2-1706</reference><reference>15.2-1709</reference><reference>16.1-228</reference><reference>16.1-284.1</reference><reference>16.1-300</reference><reference>18.2-121.3</reference><reference>18.2-248</reference><reference>18.2-248.1</reference><reference>18.2-250</reference><reference>18.2-308.03</reference><reference>18.2-31</reference><reference>18.2-36.3</reference><reference>18.2-474.2</reference><reference>18.2-55</reference><reference>18.2-57</reference><reference>18.2-57.01</reference><reference>18.2-57.02</reference><reference>19.2-169.6</reference><reference>19.2-269.1</reference><reference>19.2-72</reference><reference>19.2-76</reference><reference>19.2-81.1</reference><reference>19.2-81.2</reference><reference>2.2-309.3</reference><reference>24.2-314</reference><reference>4.1-1100</reference><reference>46.2-341.20:7</reference><reference>51.1-212</reference><reference>51.5-43</reference><reference>53.1-10</reference><reference>54.1-3408</reference><reference>65.2-402.1</reference><reference>8.01-195.3</reference><reference>8.01-216.8</reference><reference>8.01-341</reference><reference>8.01-410</reference><reference>9.1-400</reference><reference>9.1-801</reference><reference>9.1-901</reference><reference>9.1-907</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="53.1">Prisons and Other Methods of Correction</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">Administration Generally</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this title, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;Board&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State Board</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">State Board</span> of Local and Regional Jails.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Community correctional facility</span>&#x201D; means any group home, halfway house or other physically unrestricting facility used for the housing, treatment or care of adult offenders established or operated with funds appropriated to the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Corrections from the state treasury and maintained or operated by any political subdivision, combination of political subdivisions or privately operated agency within the Commonwealth.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Community supervision</span>&#x201D; means <span class="dictionary">probation</span>, <span class="dictionary">parole</span>, postrelease supervision, programs authorized under the Comprehensive Community Corrections Act for local responsible offenders, and programs authorized under Article 7 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Workforces and authorized work places" href="/53.1-128/">53.1-128</a> et seq.) of Chapter 3.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Correctional officer</span>&#x201D; means a duly sworn employee of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Corrections whose normal duties relate to maintaining immediate control, supervision and <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of prisoners confined in any <span class="dictionary">state correctional facility</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Department</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Corrections.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Deputy sheriff</span>&#x201D; means a duly sworn officer appointed by a sheriff pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Appointment of deputies; their powers; how removed" href="/15.2-1603/">15.2-1603</a> whose normal duties include, but are not limited to, maintaining immediate control, supervision and <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of prisoners confined in any <span class="dictionary">local correctional facility</span> and may include those duties of a <span class="dictionary">jail officer</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Director</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Director</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Corrections.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Jail officer</span>&#x201D; means a duly sworn employee of a <span class="dictionary">local correctional facility</span>, except for <span class="dictionary">deputy sheriffs</span>, whose normal duties relate to maintaining immediate control, supervision and <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of prisoners confined in any <span class="dictionary">local correctional facility</span>. This definition in no way limits any authority otherwise granted to a duly sworn <span class="dictionary">deputy sheriff</span> whose duties may include those of a <span class="dictionary">jail officer</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Local correctional facility</span>&#x201D; means any jail, jail farm or other place used for the detention or incarceration of adult offenders, excluding a <span class="dictionary">lock-up</span>, which is owned, maintained, or operated by any political subdivision or combination of political subdivisions of the Commonwealth. For the purposes of subsection B of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Minimum standards for local correctional facilities and lock-ups; health inspections, behavioral health services inspections, and personnel" href="/53.1-68/">53.1-68</a> and &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Board may prohibit confinement and require transfer of prisoners in substandard facilities" href="/53.1-69/">53.1-69</a>, <a class="law" title="Review of death of inmates in local, regional, or community correctional facilities" href="/53.1-69.1/">53.1-69.1</a>, and <a class="law" title="Who may enter interior of local correctional facilities; searches of those entering" href="/53.1-127/">53.1-127</a>, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">local correctional facility</span>&#x201D; also includes any facility owned, maintained, or operated by any political subdivision or combination of political subdivisions of the Commonwealth that is used for the detention or incarceration of people pursuant to a <span class="dictionary">contract</span> or third-<span class="dictionary">party</span> <span class="dictionary">contract</span> with the federal government or any agency or contractor thereof.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Lock-up</span>&#x201D; means a facility whose primary use is to <span class="dictionary">detain</span> persons for a short period of time as determined by the Board.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State correctional facility</span>&#x201D; means any correctional center or correctional field unit used for the incarceration of adult offenders established and operated by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Corrections, or operated pursuant to the Corrections Private Services Act (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/53.1-261/">53.1-261</a> et seq.). &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State correctional facility</span>&#x201D; includes &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">penitentiary</span>&#x201D; whenever used in this title or other titles of the Code.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 53-9, 53-19.5, 53-19.18, 53-19.18:1, 53-19.23; 1966, c. 300; 1970, c. 648; 1974, cc. 44, 45; 1976, cc. 740, 756; 1977, c. 187; 1981, c. 487; 1982, c. 636; 1983, c. 477; 1991, c. 383; 1995, c. 224; 1999, c. 845; 2000, c. 807; 2020, c. 759; 2020, Sp. Sess. I, c. 23; 2025, c. 337.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
