Renovations at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail are the next steps

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) – The Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail is taking a step forward in the right direction.

It’s one step closer to renovation.

The project manager explained the problems the prison is currently seeing and how they can be resolved.

“The prison hasn’t been renovated since 1975, so it’s about time,” said project manager Michael Gibson.

After a board meeting and five “yes” votes, the $49 million renovations to the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail are one step closer to implementation.

The plan is to demolish an old part of a one-story building and replace it with a two-story building.

“The place where we can do this is very limited,” Gibson said. “It’s basically a 20-year forecast of what the prison is going to need.”

Some of the things he believes need to be improved include security, HVAC and exterior work.

“Things are starting to fail in the old parts of the prison where we are renovating, and this is where we could give them current standards,” Gibson said.

Gibson says they listened to inmates and held community meetings to learn what needed to be fixed.

He wants prison to be a pleasant place for everyone involved.

“We don’t need more prison facilities,” Gibson said. “We need more advice and help for people who find themselves in these situations.”

The company and the project manager will meet with the boards again in early 2025.

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