                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DEFINITIONS (§ 53.1-1)

As used in this title, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#8220;Board&#8221; or &#8220;State Board&#8221; means the State Board of
Local and Regional Jails.
		&#8220;Community correctional facility&#8221; 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 Department 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.
		&#8220;Community supervision&#8221; means probation, parole, postrelease
supervision, programs authorized under the Comprehensive Community Corrections
Act for local responsible offenders, and programs authorized under Article 7 (§
53.1-128 et seq.) of Chapter 3.
		&#8220;Correctional officer&#8221; means a duly sworn employee of the
Department of Corrections whose normal duties relate to maintaining immediate
control, supervision and custody of prisoners confined in any state correctional
facility.
		&#8220;Department&#8221; means the Department of Corrections.
		&#8220;Deputy sheriff&#8221; means a duly sworn officer appointed by a sheriff
pursuant to § 15.2-1603 whose normal duties include, but are not limited to,
maintaining immediate control, supervision and custody of prisoners confined in
any local correctional facility and may include those duties of a jail officer.
		&#8220;Director&#8221; means the Director of the Department of Corrections.
		&#8220;Jail officer&#8221; means a duly sworn employee of a local correctional
facility, except for deputy sheriffs, whose normal duties relate to maintaining
immediate control, supervision and custody of prisoners confined in any local
correctional facility. This definition in no way limits any authority otherwise
granted to a duly sworn deputy sheriff whose duties may include those of a jail
officer.
		&#8220;Local correctional facility&#8221; means any jail, jail farm or other
place used for the detention or incarceration of adult offenders, excluding a
lock-up, 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 § 53.1-68 and §§ 53.1-69, 53.1-69.1, and 53.1-127,
&#8220;local correctional facility&#8221; 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 contract or third-party contract with the federal
government or any agency or contractor thereof.
		&#8220;Lock-up&#8221; means a facility whose primary use is to detain persons
for a short period of time as determined by the Board.
		&#8220;State correctional facility&#8221; means any correctional center or
correctional field unit used for the incarceration of adult offenders
established and operated by the Department of Corrections, or operated pursuant
to the Corrections Private Services Act (§ 53.1-261 et seq.). &#8220;State
correctional facility&#8221; includes &#8220;penitentiary&#8221; whenever used
in this title or other titles of the Code.

HISTORY: Code 1950, §§ 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.