About Us
About
The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) is the largest state agency with more than 11,000 employees across the Commonwealth. We operate secure facilities and probation and parole offices to provide care and supervision for inmates under state custody.
Virginia currently has the nation's second-lowest recidivism rate at 20.6 percent.
Mission
We ensure public safety by providing effective incarceration, supervision, and evidence-based re-entry services.
Vision
A premier correctional organization working to secure a safer Virginia.
Values
Safety: We are committed to the safety and security of all individuals. We proactively work to create a safe and secure work environment by protecting each other, our communities, and our reputation.
Integrity: We behave with high standards of personal and professional conduct. We are trustworthy, fair, and honest. We are ethical at all times.
Accountability: We hold ourselves and each other accountable for our actions, decisions, and consequences.
Respect: We appreciate the differences and the dignity of individuals. We value others’ points of view. We accept people as they are. We are polite, courteous, and empathetic.
Learning: We are best-in-class because of our commitment to personal and professional growth, continuous improvement, and evidence-based practices.
Service: We serve by encouraging all individuals to become the best versions of themselves with humility, unity, passion, commitment, and thankfulness.
Executive Staff
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Chadwick S. Dotson, Director
Judge (ret.) Chadwick Dotson received his B.A. from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. After a short stint in private practice, Dotson was elected in 2003 as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Wise County and the City of Norton. While serving as Commonwealth’s Attorney, he was appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.
In 2007, Dotson was elected by the Virginia General Assembly to the General District Court bench, and he was elevated to the Circuit Court bench in 2011 (and reappointed in 2019). He served as the Chief Judge of the 30th Judicial Circuit and presided over the Circuit’s Recovery Court program for the entirety of his tenure on the Circuit bench. In addition, Judge Dotson served a term on the State Drug Court Advisory Board, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
After retiring from the bench, Dotson served as Dean of Students and Distinguished Professor of Law at the Appalachian School of Law where he taught constitutional law, criminal law, and criminal procedure. In 2022, Governor Glenn Youngkin appointed Dotson to serve as the Chairman of the Virginia Parole Board (VPB). He served as the agency head of VPB until September 2023, when the Governor appointed him as the Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections.
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A. David Robinson, Chief of Corrections Operations
A. David Robinson leads the operations of the VADOC’s facilities and parole and probation offices throughout the state. He has served more than 30 years with the Virginia Department of Corrections, working his way up from line-level staff to warden. In 2006, he was promoted to eastern regional director for operations, and in 2011 was appointed chief of corrections operations. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1982 and his master’s degree in 1989 from Virginia Commonwealth University.
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Joseph Walters, Deputy Director, Administration
Joseph W. Walters leads the administrative, support, and law enforcement functions of the VADOC in furtherance of the agency’s public safety mission. Walters began his public safety career more than 30 years ago as a local law enforcement officer in Martinsville, Virginia. In 1993, he joined the Virginia State Police as a state trooper, rising to the rank of captain and division commander. In 2015, Walters joined the VADOC to serve as the agency’s human resources director. In 2018, he was promoted to serve as deputy director for administration, and in 2024 he was appointed to also serve as the agency’s chief law enforcement officer. Walters earned his B.S. from Averett College, and his M.P.A. from Virginia Tech. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s National Criminal Justice Command College, and he is completing his PhD in Public Administration through Liberty University.
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Scott Richeson, Deputy Director of Programs, Education, and Re-entry
Scott Richeson directs the VADOC’s business practices regarding inmate programming and re-entry services that reduce recidivism. This includes substance abuse, education, mental health, victim services, and core correctional practices. She has more than 35 years of experience in the corrections field with a background in community corrections and prisons. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice and Public Safety and a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.