Superintendent: Jail faces staffing shortfalls, rising assaults and expands harm-reduction steps

The superintendent told the Prince William and Ashley Regional Jail Board on Jan. 18 that the jail is operating near its stated capacities and facing significant staffing shortages while continuing to manage an uptick in assaults and other safety incidents. He said recruitment and retention measures approved at the county level include a $5,000 hiring bonus for new jail officers (split in two payments), a county compensation study and an increased night differential.

In the board packet, the superintendent listed operational and management capacity (stated in the meeting as 871 operational and 1,320 management), and recent population metrics: an FY23 average daily inmate population of about 453 and a 12-month average of roughly 512. He said transfers to the state system were low in recent months and that releases exceeded commits in both November and December.

The superintendent told board members there are 96 current vacancies, including 86 sworn positions out of an authorized total of 433 positions, and said that staffing ratios and frequent security escorts for higher-risk inmates are straining daily operations. He described a rise in assaults and violent incidents, citing an example in which an inmate attempted to injure a female officer through a food slot. “This is what they deal with every day, and they do a great job,” he said, praising staff performance and training.

Officials highlighted training and preparedness: the jail has 104 staff certified in crisis-intervention training (CIT), recent instructor recertification and peer-support trainings, and certified in-house trainers in partnership with Prince William Academy. The superintendent also noted that since Oct. 19 the jail has distributed 716 boxes of Narcan to inmates upon release as part of an evidence-based approach to reduce overdose risk.

On compliance, the superintendent said the facility’s annual Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) report—compiled by the Office of Professional Standards—showed most allegations were unsubstantiated or unfounded; a three-year PREA inspection is scheduled for March. He also described a dedicated mental-health unit in the new building for the very seriously mentally ill, staffed by two officers alongside mental-health clinicians.

The superintendent said the county-approved recruitment and retention measures are already in place and that the compensation study may lead to pay adjustments. The PREA inspection and continued recruitment outcomes were left as near-term follow-ups for the board.

The board thanked staff for their work and expressed concern about staffing and mental-health challenges; no formal policy change was adopted at the meeting.