The City of Salem is withdrawing from its partnership in the Roanoke County-Salem Jail on East Main Street in favor of moving additional inmates to the Western Virginia Regional Jail.
“This has been a mutually beneficial agreement between the City of Salem and our good neighbors in Roanoke County,” said Salem City Manager, Chris Dorsey. “However, we believe our citizens can realize cost savings by transitioning out of the agreement at this time.”
Salem must give two years of notice to leave the current agreement, and City Council voted in favor of that move at its July 28 meeting. The unanimous vote, following a closed session and open meeting discussion, means that Salem has stated its intention to leave the partnership by the August 7, 2025, deadline.
“We have a great relationship with the County, share services and support each other on a number of projects, public safety initiatives and school endeavors, but at this time it just makes sense for us to utilize the Western Virginia Regional Jail exclusively to house our inmates,” said Dorsey.
The current Roanoke County-Salem Jail opened in October of 1980 with 104 cells for prisoners. The facility was built at a cost of $5 million. To make the facility a reality, Salem closed one downtown street and contributed other nearby property. The adjacent courthouse opened five years later in March of 1985.
The Western Virginia Regional Jail opened in 2009 to help accommodate the inmate housing needs of the member localities and alleviate overcrowding. The cost of operating the jail is shared by Salem, Roanoke County, Franklin County and Montgomery County. The jail sits on 6-acres of land in the Dixie Caverns area of Roanoke County, and it has over 800 beds for prisoners.