The Pocahontas State Correctional Center is a

medium-security A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correcti ...

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...

located on in Tazewell County, just west of the town of

Pocahontas, Virginia Pocahontas is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States. It was named for Chief Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas, who lived in the 17th-century Jamestown Settlement. The town was founded as a company mining town by the Southwest Virginia ...

. The $68.6 million facility was completed in the summer of 2007, and opened in September, 2007.

Details

The prison has the capacity to house 1,000 inmates in the general population, and 24 inmates in the segregation units. The number of people employed at the prison is expected to reach 330. The prison will provide counseling and group programs, including Alcoholics Anonymous,

Narcotics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous (NA), founded in 1953, describes itself as a "nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem." Narcotics Anonymous uses a 12-step model developed for people with varied subst ...

, Anger Control, Breaking Barriers, and Phases I and II of Psycho-Educational Substance Abuse. Because of the amount of prisoners, and lack of staff and resources, many inmates go months, and some even years without enrolling in any program or classes, and because of this, many get released without getting any type of rehabilitation or education. Basic education/GED preparation,

Literary Incentive Program Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

, and college courses will be offered to inmates. Additionally, vocational courses will be provided, including electricity, small engine and motorcycle repair, floor covering, general maintenance, carpentry, plumbing and computer literacy. Responsible for overseeing and constructing of the prison was Warden S. K. Young, a graduate of

Emory and Henry College Emory & Henry College (E&H or Emory) is a private liberal arts college in Emory, Virginia. The campus comprises of Washington County, which is part of the Appalachian highlands of Southwest Virginia. Founded in 1836, Emory & Henry College is ...

. Mr. Young has 26 years of experience dealing with prisons at all levels. Pocahontas State Correctional Center will have a recycling program for paper, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, and printer cartridges. Additionally, the prison will produce bio-diesel fuel from waste oil from the kitchen. This fuel will be used in motor vehicles operated by the prison.

External links

Virginia Department of Corrections: Pocahontas State Correctional Center

References

* Pocahontas State Correctional Center brochure {{State prisons in Virginia Buildings and structures in Tazewell County, Virginia Prisons in Virginia 2007 establishments in Virginia