BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) – Bristol Virginia Sheriff Tyrone Foster has confirmed the closure of the jail downtown.
Inmates will no longer be housed at the Bristol Virginia Jail; instead, they’ve been transferred to the Abingdon facility within the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority.
The closure took immediate effect on July 1.
All inmates have already been transferred, and the last group was taken to Abingdon on June 25.
Sheriff Foster remains in his office attached to the old jail facility, unaware of the city’s future plans for the building. He said at this time, it is uncertain where — or if — he will be transferred for office space.
According to Foster, all staff at the facility have become courtroom employees or work in civil offices.
He told News Channel 11 that he still hasn’t given up on hopes for a new jail back in downtown Bristol. He said his goal is to build a new one if possible.
