Dedication Ceremony Held for Pocahontas State Correctional Center

POCAHONTAS, Va. — A dedication ceremony was held in August for the new Pocahontas State Correctional Center.

Warden S.K. Young welcomed a large crowd gathered at the site of the new facility on Big Vein Mountain . Guests included Gene Johnson, Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections; Larry Huffman, Regional Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections; and State Representative Dan Bowling.

Attendees had a chance to tour the $68.6 million, Level III institution, which will house 1,024 inmates and about 318 staff. The motto of the new prison is “Professionals serving corrections and the community.”

The first group of inmates is expected to arrive in mid-September. Young says there will be an emphasis on literacy and education, and treatment and rehabilitation of inmates through a variety of programs and classes.

One of the units in the facility will serve as a reception center, housing approximately 256 inmates. The inmates housed in the reception center will arrive from the regional jails, which will help relieve overcrowding at other facilities. Upon classification, an inmate will either remain at PSCC, or be transferred to a more appropriate institution.

The new facility is expected to provide an economic boost to southwest Virginia. Young said that the majority of the prison’s $50 million budget is allocated to salaries and benefits for employees, who will likely spend money in Pocahontas and Tazewell County . Additional growth is expected in the community to support prison employees and visitors to the prison, including new restaurants, convenience stores, hotels and motels.

“I look forward to a great relationship with the community,” says DOC Director Gene Johnson. He also thanked the firms involved in the planning, design and construction of the facility.

The Pocahontas State Correctional center can house up to 1,024 inmates and is expected to employ 318 staff.