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Blue Ridge Regional Jail <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />The Pittsylvania County Jail does not have the capacity to provide the County with the <br />current and future need for secure detention for the existing and future inmate <br />population. Pittsylvania County initiated the planning process for expansion of the local <br />detention capacity in 2003. For detention capacity expansion projects, the <br />Commonwealth of Virginia will reimburse a jurisdiction twenty-five percent of the <br />approved project cost for a single jurisdiction project and fifty percent for a regional jail <br />project involving three or more jurisdictions. <br /> <br />The first steps involved in obtaining approval for a detention capacity expansion project <br />involve development of a Community-Based Corrections Plan and Planning Study both <br />of which must be submitted to, reviewed by and approved by the Commonwealth of <br />Virginia's Board of Corrections. Since 1996, the General Assembly has included <br />language in the Appropriations Act which prohibits review of Community-Based <br />Corrections Plans and Planning Studies by the Board of Corrections unless the General <br />Assembly provides an exception to the moratorium in the .Appropriations Act. <br />Pittsylvania County was granted an exemption to the moratorium in the 2004-2006 <br />Appropriations Act for a single jurisdiction project. Pittsylvania County has developed a <br />Community-Based Corrections Plan for the expansion of the jurisdiction's secure <br />detention capacity. Additionally, the County has contracted with Dewberry-PSA for the <br />development of a Planning Study, <br /> <br />Officials from the County, prior to formalizing their expansion plans for a single <br />jurisdiction secure detention project, initiated a study to explore two additional options. <br />These options are: <br /> <br />· Forming a new regional jail authority/board with at least two other jurisdictions <br /> to satisfy the need for secure detention capacity within the region. <br />· Joining the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority for the County's secure <br /> detention needs. <br /> <br />Both options would provide the County with the potential for obtaining fifty percent <br />reimbursement from the Commonwealth for County's share of the approved project cost. <br />The costs and benefits to the County for the first option were detailed in a report titled <br />Cost and Capadty of a proposed Regional Jail serving Pi~sylvania, Franklin, Henna, and <br />Patrick Counties and the Cities of Danville and Martinsville. This report addresses the <br />second option -Joining the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority. <br /> <br />Blue Ridge Regional Jall Authority <br /> <br />The Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority provides the secure detention capacity for the <br />Cities of Bedford and Lynchburg and Bedford, Campbell and Halifax Counties. The <br />Authority operates five detention facilities located strategically within the geographic <br />service area. The detention facilities are located in Lynchburg City, Halifax County, <br />Bedford City, Bedford County (Moneta), and Campbell County. The combined operating <br />capacity of the facilities is 660. The inmate population in October 2004 was in the 900 <br />inmate range. <br /> <br />If Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority agreed to accept another member jurisdiction, such <br />as Pittsylvania County, expansion of the secure detention capacity available to the Blue <br /> <br />Powell Consulting Services 2 November 29, 2004 <br /> <br /> <br />