VADOC responds to allegations detainees may not have access to vaccines

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CHESAPEAKE, Virginia – The Virginia Department of Corrections has responded to allegations that inmates do not have access to COVID-19 vaccines.

News 3 recently received a call from the mother of an inmate at St. Brides Correctional Center in Chesapeake, who told us that inmates do not have access to vaccines. She said if inmates didn’t take it the first time, they would have to wait for another company to arrive.

In addition to telling us that inmates would be housed 90 in one room, she also told us that the prison apparently does not distribute masks and that inmates would have to wear disposable masks “for 30 days”.

We reached out to the VDOC for comment on the allegations, and a spokesperson told us that any inmate in custody who requests a vaccination or a booster receives one. He said 74% of St. Brides inmates have received at least one dose and 70% are fully immunized.

Additionally, the spokesperson said staff at St. Brides make cloth masks available to all inmates and any damaged or worn masks can be exchanged by requesting a replacement.

VADOC’s full statement can be read below:

Any detainee held by VADOC who requests a vaccination or a booster benefits from it. Currently, 74 percent of St. Brides inmates have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 70 percent are fully immunized. We will continue to offer vaccines in the future at this and all of our other facilities, as well as full access to booster doses. All inmates who request an initial or booster dose have received and will continue to be.

St. Brides staff make cloth masks available to all inmates. Any damaged or worn mask can be exchanged on simple request for replacement from the unit manager. Inmates have access to washing machines to clean their masks as well as a full laundry service, which collects masks, launders them commercially off-site, and then returns them to inmates. The facility currently has over 800 new masks to distribute and new masks are provided to unit managers on a weekly basis.

Benjamin Jarvela, Assistant Director of Communications for the Virginia Corrections

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