JARRATT, Va. β An inmate died at Greensville Correctional Center over the weekend, marking the 69th death at the prison in the last three years. The Virginia Department of Corrections confirmed the death occurred Sunday.
"The VADOC's Office of Law Enforcement Services is investigating the matter. Any loss of life is tragic," a VADOC spokesperson said.
A recent Office of Inspector General report documented 67 inmate deaths at the facility during that same period, which did not include a brutal attack of an inmate by his cellmate in November.
The OSIG report also revealed that Greensville's staffing has a vacancy rate of close to 50 percent.
The cause of the inmate's death has not yet been released.
The Understaffing Problem
University of Virginia Professor Gerard Robinson is a professor of practice in public policy and law at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and School of Law. He teaches a course called "Inside US Prisons." The former Secretary of Education under Governor Bob McDonnell said the understaffing problem extends beyond Virginia.
"The problem of understaffing in prisons is not endemic to just Virginia. It's nationwide," Robinson said. "The largest state agency in Virginia is the Department of Corrections, approximately 11,000 employees. And so for a public institution to have that many employees and the millions of dollars we invest on face value, you would think, well, we should have enough money to pay people."
Robinson said correctional officers make less than they probably should for the work they do, but noted that money alone isn't the only issue.
"The suicide rate for American correctional officers is higher than the suicide rate for American police, then we realize we have a correctional problem," Robinson said. "Professional development, mental and social health and support for correctional officers is needed, because even though they leave prison, they bring that home to their families."
THREE-YEAR INMATE DEATHS (67 total as of Jan. 1, 2026):
Medical/Natural Causes - 38 deaths (73% of total)
- Cancer - 14 deaths
- Cardiovascular - 13 deaths
- Diabetes complications - 3 deaths
- Kidney failure - 2 deaths
- Respiratory issues - 2 deaths
- Gastrointestinal problems - 2 deaths
- Stroke - 1 death
- COVID-19 - 1 death
Non-Natural Deaths - 10 deaths (15% of total)
- Drug overdoses - 5 deaths
- Accidents - 3 deaths (one drowning and two falls)
- Suicides - 2 deaths
- Pre-Incarceration Related - 1 death (complications from gunshot wound sustained before imprisonment)
Pending Medical Examiner Review: 18 deaths (27% of total)
LOCATION BREAKDOWN:
- 35 deaths occurred at the facility itself (52%)
- 32 deaths happened at local hospitals (48%)
RECENT TREND - Past Year (24 deaths):
- 8 deaths have confirmed causes (33%)
- 16 deaths still awaiting medical examiner determination (67%)
- 11 occurred on-site, 13 at hospitals
ADDITIONAL CONTEXT:
- One staff member also died from natural causes during the three-year period
- No serious sexual assaults reported
- 33 serious inmate-on-inmate assaults over three years
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
