From the Archives: Virginia State Penitentiary
The Virginia State Penitentiary, which was the home to Virginia’s death row and an electric chair known as “Old Sparky” – occupied 17 acres around Byrd, Spring, Belvidere and Second streets and was in service for almost 200 years before closing in 1991. Death row moved to Greensville Correctional Center near Jarratt.
The facility housed a print shop, metal shop, textile plant, leather shop and woodworking area which offered vocational training to prisoners.
09-10-1968 (cutline): Inmates in the auto license tag shop prepare to hang newly stamped-out license plates to run through paint machine at State Penitentiary.
09-10-1968 (cutline): Prisoners who've returned to work have recreation privileges on Penitentiary yard.
An aerial view of Virginia State Penitentiary is seen on Dec. 12, 1973.
01-24-1960 (cutline): Store where inmates, using scrip, buy personal effects at the State Penitentiary.
10-18-1962 (cutline): A. E. Slayton (center), rehabilitation supervisor at the State Penitentiary and Carroll R. Proctor, superintendent of prison industries, check progress of man in the woodworking department.
12-07-1966: Virginia State Penitentiary
12-07-1966 (cutline): Prisoners work as technicians in clinical laboratory. Facilities are available for all tests except tissue cultures.
03-01-1966 (cutline): Wilson I. Trayer (right) teaches barbering at the the State Penitentiary.
09-09-1968 (cutline): Virginia State Penitentiary commissary.
07-27-1962 (cutline): Inmates of the Virginia State Penitentiary have a graduation ceremony. Seventeen inmates received General Educational Development Certificates.
01-04-1961: Virginia State Penitentiary
07-22-1968: Virginia State Penitentiary
01-24-1960 (cutline): A prisoner at the State Penitentiary takes a strip of cookies from oven. Bakery makes quantities of bread, cakes and pies.
01-20-1960 (cutline): Despite prison bars in window, instructor John L. Scanlon teaches high school level class at the State Penitentiary.
04-11-1992 (cutline): The scene after the State Penitentiary was razed.
The governor's new head of the Parole Board is Patricia West, a former judge who served as a member of the State Corporation Commission, director of juvenile justice and secretary of public safety under Gov. George Allen, and as chief deputy attorney general under Ken Cuccinelli.
An attack by a prisoner at Greensville Correctional Center on Friday left a correctional officer in need of medical treatment, the agency announced in a Monday afternoon press release.
When a bar of soap in the prison commissary costs about $1 and a job in the prison kitchen or laundry pays 27 to 45 cents an hour, the 15% withheld from inmates' income to pay down their court fees and fines does not go very far.
When a bar of soap in the prison commissary costs about $1 and a job in the prison kitchen or laundry pays 27 to 45 cents an hour, the 15% withheld from inmates' income to pay down their court fees and fines does not go very far.
When a bar of soap in the prison commissary costs about $1 and a job in the prison kitchen or laundry pays 27 to 45 cents an hour, the 15% withheld from inmates' income to pay down their court fees and fines does not go very far.
When a bar of soap in the prison commissary costs about $1 and a job in the prison kitchen or laundry pays 27 to 45 cents an hour, the 15% withheld from inmates' income to pay down their court fees and fines does not go very far.
Among the appointments are new acting wardens of River North Correctional Center, where an inmate attacked and killed a corrections officer last year.
Nine months later, officials still won't answer questions on death of Aubrey McKay, who was found seriously injured inside his cell last June.
Nine months later, officials still won't answer questions on death of Aubrey McKay, who was found seriously injured inside his cell last June.
