The state ombudsman monitoring the Virginia Department of Corrections held her second public meeting Thursday at the Patrick Henry Building in Richmond.
Several members of Capitol Police were present at the tail end of public comment, after speakers disregarded time limits and raised their voices.
Andrea Sapone, the state’s first corrections ombudsman, began the meeting by outlining her office’s duties and procedures — offering comments similar to an earlier, more sparsely attended meeting in July. She again noted her office receiving scores of duplicative complaints against VADOC, all of which her staff examines.
Before turning the meeting over to public comment, Sapone said her goal was to “improve government performance.”
Pertell Gilmore, a previously incarcerated advocate, addressed the few dozen in attendance to explain his experiences with VADOC, as well as his son’s. Capitol Police arrived during his time at the lectern.
After the meeting, Gilmore said the procedures Sapone explained weren’t going to help his son.
“All of the hurdles and stuff that I've been jumping over already — and all us parents in there — this is just like a drop in the pond. And nothing has been done as of yet,” he said. “I know this is procedure, so it can look good for people to say, ‘Well, we did this, we listen to them.’ But it goes in one ear out the other.”
The ombudsman’s office on Thursday also issued a Wise Correctional Unit site visit report. Among its recommendations was to explore installing central air conditioning. Incarcerated people previously have voiced concern over climate control at VADOC facilities across the state in both hot and cold weather.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.