Amherst County, Virginia ~ Corrections

Corrections

The Amherst County Corrections Division is headed by Captain L.T. Wright. The Corrections Division is comprised of the following components: The Jail Facility, Courts Services and Security and Prisoner Transport. The Amherst County Jail houses persons charged with a crime pending trial. It also houses persons sentenced to less than 1 year in jail and for those sentenced to longer terms of incarceration until the Department of Corrections picks them up . The jail may also house a person on work release or somone simply pulling weekends as imposed by the Courts.

The Jail Staff are responsible for the welfare of the inmates in their custody. They make timely rounds throughout the jail to insure the inmates are safe and everything is secure. They serve the inmates three meals a day, provide hygiene necessities and distribute each inmate's medicine. The Jail staff is also responsible for booking all persons brought into the facility and to take charge of their property. The staff does all the fingerprinting and photographs of arrestees. They handle all work release inmates and those inmates reporting in for weekends. The staff works with all visitor requests to make approved visitation run as smoothly as possible.

The Court Services and Security Unit is responsible for the security of all three courts and the entire Amherst County Courthouse. The deputies within the Court Services Unit serve as bailiffs for the courts and assist in serving the paperwork issued by the Judges or Court Clerks. The unit is responsible for bringing incarcerated persons before the court on arraignments and bond hearings. They separate witnesses as directed by the Judge in many cases. The deputies in the unit assure that the courts remain a quiet, civil and respectful environment for all persons. They ensure that the entrances and exits to the Courthouse are secure and that the points of entry are monitored for weapons or other potential hazards. There are NO weapons allowed in the Amherst County Courthouse!

The Prisoner Transport Unit does just that, transport prisoners. Prisoner Transport will travel to multiple jurisdictions throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and sometimes outside the Commonwealth to retrieve incarcerated persons and bring them before the Amherst County Courts. They may also be tasked to travel to another jurisdiction in the United States to retrieve a fugitive from justice or to simply take a jail inmate back and forth to doctor's appointments. The Prisoner Transport unit works with the Virginia Department of Corrections in coordinating the transports of selected inmates.

Jail Facility Information

Visitation - Saturdays and Sundays, 15 minute limit, once a weekend. Visitors may not bring any materials in to be given to an inmate.

Inmate Canteen Fund - Money orders must be mailed to the jail for the inmate's canteen fund, cash will not be accepted.

Clergy - may visit any day of the week, but it is highly encouraged that you call prior to coming to limit your wait time.

Inmate Mail - An inmate can receive letters. Magazines and newspapers must be shipped from the publisher, and cannot come from home.

(Photo is courtesy of "A Portrait by Shanna".)

Contact Us

L.T. Wright
Captain

Physical Address:
115 Taylor St
Mailing Address:
PO Box 410
Amherst, VA 24521

Telephone Number: 434-946-9379
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