Chief of justice

There are many areas in which the United States are global leaders, and its prison system is no exception – but not for the right reasons. The nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and the rate at which people reoffend after conviction – its recidivism rate – is also the world’s highest.

Recidivism is not only costly for law enforcement, but also a failure of the prison system to keep society safe. This is why Chad Dotson, Director of Virginia Department of Corrections, is shaking up the traditional way of administering justice in the United States.

“How we get public safety is not always about locks, keys and gates,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “It’s about what happens when people are released. That’s our responsibility, and we take it very seriously.”

By embracing an innovative approach to managing the 24,000 individuals incarcerated across 43 institutions in Virginia, the Department is challenging convention to create a prison system that is more effective, more humane and keeps communities safer.

“Our recidivism rate has been the best or second best in the nation for the last nine years,” he says. “We can’t do things the way they’ve always been done. Change is a constant in the world of corrections.”

A history of justice

Before assuming his role of Director in 2023, Dotson already had a distinguished career in justice under his belt, including 14 years serving as a judge in Virginia’s trial court system.

“I have been around corrections my whole career,” he says. “I used to say that as a judge, I was in the room for the worst day of someone’s life just about every day, but I didn’t get to see what happened once I sentenced someone to prison.”

---

---

Advertisement

Even before he was entrusted to run the Department of Corrections, Virginia’s largest state agency, he recognized the significance rehabilitation had in creating a functioning justice system.

“What intrigued me was going from that moment in the courtroom when I was sentencing them, which was the lowest point in their life, to a situation where that individual can re-enter back into society and we can maintain and encourage public safety in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Dotson explains.

And it’s not a responsibility he takes lightly. “It’s a solemn duty we have, but it’s also exciting,” he says. “I’m honored to have this opportunity, and I’m really proud to work for this administration.”

Maintaining safety

This focus on rehabilitation sits in contrast to the more dominant view of justice in the United States, which views the primary purpose of incarceration as a punishment for dangerous individuals and as a deterrence for criminality.

This approach has driven mass incarceration nationwide but has also failed to stop inmates from reoffending. In 2021, a nationwide study by the Bureau of Justice showed that four out of five prisoners had been re-arrested within a decade of their release.

“We have to maintain safety within our institutions, and sometimes we have individuals that are difficult to manage,” Dotson says. “But the vast majority of our incarcerated population really is eager to get better and is not causing anyone problems. Almost 95 percent of the inmates that are in our institutions will be going back out into the community someday.

“Our central mission is to provide long-term, lasting public safety in our communities, and that begins the day that they enter into our prisons. When they leave that courtroom, that’s the opportunity for the Virginia Department of Corrections to do everything in its power to make sure that when they’re released, they’re a different person.”

One of the key elements of rehabilitation is addressing the underlying issues that cause crime, with lack of education being a central problem.

“With criminality associated with lower levels of education, providing an opportunity for inmates to gain the skills and qualifications to live a successful life outside of prison is a central element of the department’s rehabilitation strategy,” Dotson says. “We’re trying to break records with the number of high school equivalency degrees that we’re able to hand out.”

---

“Shadowtrack’s partnership with the Virginia Department of Corrections is built on collaboration and shared innovation. Under Director Dotson’s visionary leadership, the agency seamlessly integrates advanced technology solutions across all sectors – institutions, community and administration. Together, we turn challenges into opportunities, and we are proud to stand alongside Virginia as it sets new standards in corrections.” – Robert Magaletta, President & CEO, Shadowtrack Technologies

---

Advertisement

Dotson highlights the importance key partnerships have in helping reduce crime in the state. Valued partners of the Department include Southside VA Community College, CGL Companies and Shadowtrack.

“A tremendous piece of being successful when you leave prison is having employment,” Dotson says. “We’re partnering with community colleges to provide college courses in the Virginia Community College system, and we’ve been really gratified by some of the public–private partnerships that we’ve begun to make.”

Not only does helping individuals gain employment reduce the rate of reoffense, it also greatly reduces the net cost of the prison system to the taxpayer. Less money is spent on housing inmates, and revenue is generated by ex-inmates paying taxes on their earnings.

Changed lives

While the numbers speak for themselves on the success of the Department’s approach to corrections, this will not stop the hard work from continuing.

“For a long time, this agency has been very proud of how incarcerated individuals have been able to achieve successful re-entry,” Dotson says. “But the way we look at it is that this is not good enough.”

With the aim of further boosting successful re-entry, the Department has identified six success factors: employment, housing, access to healthcare, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment and proper supervision.

It is this commitment to helping individuals become a better version of themselves, in turn creating a better society, that inspires Dotson.

---

“Director Dotson has shown exceptional leadership in guiding the Virginia Department of Corrections. Under his direction, the staff is well-prepared; public safety is a top priority; and inmates are treated with fairness and provided opportunities for rehabilitation. We are honored to collaborate with Director Dotson and the Virginia Department of Corrections.” – Mark Zilner, Owner, President and CEO, Diamond Pharmacy Services

---

Advertisement

“The data shows that giving inmates a focus and a purpose equals long-term public safety; it’s a win–win for everyone,” he says. “We want to give them some hope. When they have some hope, it’s a powerful thing.

“We are going to continue to be the most aggressive corrections agency in achieving public safety and changing people’s lives. When success equals changed lives and greater safety in our communities, what greater calling is there than that?”