About Us

Executive Staff

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  Joseph Walters, Director

  Joseph W. Walters was appointed to serve as the 11th Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections on January 17, 2026, by Governor Abigail Spanberger. Director Walters formerly served as Senior Deputy Director for the Virginia Department of Corrections, leading the agency’s administrative, law enforcement, and support services.

  Walters began his public safety career as a local law enforcement officer in Martinsville, Virginia, in 1992. In 1993, he joined the Virginia State Police as a State Trooper, rising to the rank of Captain and Human Resource Director. Noteworthy assignments with the Virginia State Police included serving as Staff Assistant to the Director of the Bureau of Field Operations, Special Agent-in-Charge of General Investigations in the Appomattox Field Office, Assistant Director of Information Technology and Planning, and a Legislative Liaison.

  In 2015, Walters joined the Virginia Department of Corrections to serve as Human Resource Director, and in 2018, he was promoted to Deputy Director for Administration. This included managing human resources, finance, information technology, compliance and accreditation, health services, infrastructure and environmental management, agribusiness, and other support services. In 2024, he was appointed to also serve as the agency’s chief law enforcement officer, and he became Senior Deputy Director in 2025.

  Walters earned his B.S. in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Averett College, and his Master of Public Administration from Virginia Tech. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s National Criminal Justice Command College, the National Institute of Corrections’ Executive Excellence Program, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Commonwealth Leadership Academy, and Virginia Executive Institute. Walters is currently completing his PhD in Public Administration through Liberty University.

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  Jermiah (Jerry) Fitz, Chief Deputy Director

  Chief Deputy Director Jermiah “Jerry” Fitz was appointed by Governor Abigail Spanberger to serve as the Chief Deputy Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections. Prior to this appointment, Chief Deputy Director Fitz served as Deputy Director for Community Corrections, leading the agency’s Probation and Parole Districts, Community Corrections Alternative Programs, Biometric, Warrant, and Sex Offender monitoring units. Fitz began his public safety career in 1997 as a Surveillance Officer with Danville Probation and Parole. Over the course of his career, he has served in progressively responsible roles including Probation Officer, Senior Probation Officer, Deputy Chief Probation Officer, and Chief Probation Officer. He also served as Regional Administrator for Community Corrections in the Central Region. In 2019, he transitioned to the role of Corrections Operations Administrator and Legislative Liaison. In 2023, he assumed the role of Regional Administrator for Institutions in the Eastern Region for the Virginia Department of Corrections. Fitz earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University in 1997.

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  Carl Backett, Deputy Director for Professional Standards

  Beckett started his more than 30-year career in public safety in 1994 as a United States probation & parole officer in the Eastern District of New York, where he supervised a violent offender caseload. After five years, he transitioned to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a special agent.

  During his 30-year federal career, Beckett served in numerous domestic and international assignments, including New Jersey, California, Washington, D.C., Colombia, Peru, and El Salvador. He held senior leadership roles such as resident agent in charge, assistant special agent in charge, liaison to the Department of Justice, section chief for domestic operations, deputy director, and diplomatic representative for the United States. Beckett led complex, multi-agency operations worldwide, overseeing international money laundering investigations, special technical interception units, and airport and maritime interdiction teams. His leadership supported hundreds of investigations, strengthened international law enforcement partnerships, and contributed to the disruption of transnational criminal organizations.

  In 2024, Beckett was employed as the Chief of OLES. As OLES Chief, he has modernized and expanded the department’s intelligence capabilities, implementing advanced technologies and structured analytical workflows that have enhanced statewide investigative support, interagency collaboration, and operational effectiveness.

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  Lucinda Childs-White, Deputy Director for Administration

  Childs-White began her career with the VADOC in 2011 after spending 22 years at the University of Virginia in human resources leadership roles. She served as a Human Resources Officer at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women and Human Resources Manager Senior over recruitment, staffing, and compensation at VADOC Headquarters before being named Chief Human Resource Officer in 2019.

  Childs-White is certified as a Senior Certified Professional in Human Resources through the Society for Human Resource Management, a Jon Gordon Certified Positive Leader, and has completed Virginia Commonwealth University’s Commonwealth Management Institute and Virginia Executive Institute programs. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from St. Paul’s College and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Averett University.

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  Marcus Elam, Deputy Director for Community Corrections

  Marcus Elam has dedicated 32 years of service to the Commonwealth of Virginia through a distinguished career with the Virginia Department of Corrections

  He began his career as a Volunteer Probation and Parole Officer in District 6 in Suffolk before being appointed as a Probation and Parole Officer in District 30 in Hampton. Over the course of his career, he has served in a broad range of leadership roles across both Community Corrections and Institutional Operations. His progressive advancement included positions as Senior Probation Officer at Southampton Intensive Treatment Center at Southampton Correctional Center, Treatment Program Supervisor at Indian Creek Correctional Center, Deputy Chief and Chief Probation and Parole Officer in Chesapeake and Portsmouth, and Regional Administrator overseeing field operations in both the Eastern for Community Corrections, and Regional Administrator for Institutions across all three regions of the Commonwealth.

  In 2020, Mr. Elam was appointed and confirmed by the Virginia State Senate to the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission. In 2023, he was confirmed to a second 4-year term.

  In 2023, Mr. Elam was appointed Corrections Operations Administrator and Legislative Liaison for the Virginia Department of Corrections. In this executive leadership role, he provided oversight to statewide Operations Support and Offender Management Services for both institutional and community corrections. Areas of oversight included Jail Intake, Court and Legal Services, Detainer Operations, Classification and Records, Religious Services, PREA compliance, ADA coordination, Offender Drug Testing, among other critical operational functions. He also lead the agency’s Legislative Affairs Unit. He represents the Agency and serves as the primary liaison and contact to the Virginia General Assembly and its Members.

  In 2025, Mr. Elam was appointed by the Governor to serve as a Member-Advisor to the Commonwealth’s and Agency’s first Corrections Ombudsman Oversight Committee. Additionally, in February 2025, he was assigned to the President’s Homeland Security Task Force under the United States Department of Justice, working in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the Washington Field Office.

  In March 2026, Mr. Elam was appointed as Deputy Director for the Division of Community Corrections. In that role, he oversees field operations and support services for 43 Probation and Parole Offices and 5 Community Corrections Alternative Program Facilities (CCAPS).

  Mr. Elam earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Pfeiffer University in 1992.

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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.

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  Steve Herrick, Deputy Director of Health Services

  Steve Herrick is a psychologist and the Deputy Director of Health Services for the Virginia Department of Corrections. Dr. Herrick is responsible for the administrative management of the Health Services needs of approximately 26,000 inmates housed in over 40 facilities, with an annual budget of $270 million and approximately 1,200 healthcare staff including contract staff. Dr. Herrick received his Doctorate in Psychology at VCU. He is also a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and holds a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration. In his last position, he was the Director of Piedmont Geriatric Hospital, a state psychiatric hospital in Burkeville, VA. He joined the VADOC after serving 20 years with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and has been with VADOC for nearly 10 years.