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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>63215</law_id><section_number>53.1-31.1</section_number><catch_line>Transportation of prisoners</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><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="2">State Correctional Facilities</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Notwithstanding any other provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span>, the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall provide all transportation to and from <span class="dictionary">court</span> for any prisoner in connection with a <span class="dictionary">crime</span> committed within a <span class="dictionary">state correctional facility</span>, including a facility operated pursuant to the Corrections Private Services Act (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/53.1-261/">53.1-261</a> et seq.), unless the affected sheriff and the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> agree on other transportation. Auxiliary police forces established under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Establishment, etc., authorized; powers, authority and immunities generally" href="/15.2-1731/">15.2-1731</a> who have met the training requirements of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Powers and duties of the Board and the Department" href="/9.1-102/">9.1-102</a>, with the concurrence of the sheriff or other chief <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer as appropriate, are specifically authorized to provide such transportation. <a id="paragraph-230466" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-31.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Authorized corrections personnel from any other state, the United States, and any political subdivisions thereof who transport a prisoner through the Commonwealth, deliver a prisoner to the Commonwealth, or take <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of a prisoner in the Commonwealth for transport to another <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> are deemed to have lawful <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of such prisoner while in the Commonwealth. <a id="paragraph-230467" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-31.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Authorized Virginia corrections personnel who have a need to travel with a prisoner through or to another state are authorized to travel through such state and retain authority over such prisoner as allowed by such state. <a id="paragraph-230468" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/53.1-31.1/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2002, c. 240; 2003, c. 154; 2012, c. 827; 2015, c. 99; 2025, c. 337.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
