Hey Everyone, Thanks To All Who Replyed Back To Me. Well, My Son Was Moved This Morning To The Powahatan Center. If Anyone Knows Anything About This Place, Please Let Me Know. I Think He Is Just There For Classification Purposes. He Called But We Only Got To Talk For 5 Very Short Minutes. He Says He May Be There For 3-6 Months? Any Information Would Be Appreciated. Hopefully We Can See Him In A Few Weeks. Look Forward To Hearing From All!

My husband is at Deep Meadows in Powhatan Co. for classification also. He has been there for almost 4 weeks. After he received mediccal clearance I was able to visit him for the first time on Saturday the 24th. It was sooo good to see him. I live in Madison and work in Charlottesville. Powhatan is just outside of Richmond. It was a little tricky getting there as the directions I got off their machine as well as mapquest, left out several key directions coming east from c'ville. I made it there. I don't know how long your son has been in the system but this was my first experience with the DOC. Honestly it was quite unnerving but I didn't cry. Be sure to follow the dress code and make sure your son gives them your name and address exactly as it appears on your ID if you are going to visit or they will turn you away. Visitation takes place in a large cafeteria. Visitation is 1 hour but i think i was there for almost two so it was really nnice. There are vending machines and you can take 10 dollars in quarters in a plastic baggie. Let me know before you go and i'll give you exact directions. Best of luck!!

Powhatan Reception Center visitation is about as good as it gets. If your loveone is transferred to Level 5 or 6 facilities, it will be a different story. At Powhatan contact visits are just that. You are able to sit at a table and talk, hold hands, embrace, purchase hot food from the vending. It is more humane. At Wallens Ridge a Level 5 SuperMax, it is new, clean and militiant like. There is only one vending machine and is always empty by Sunday visit. There are no hot foods, just snacks and sodas. It is suppose to be contact visits, but it consist of a hug over the steel row table and that is it. End of the contact part. If you purchase a soda you must put it up on the table, put your hands down and then your love one reaches up to get it. There are no table like visitation. Simply two cold steel row tables with a partition to divide you. With guards all around, walking back and forth, cameras constantly over you. The reason for this is primarily that Wallens Ridge use to be a Level 6 until a year ago. They moved all the Level 6 to Red Onion. Wallens Ridge was a one person cell until it became a Level 5. Now it is 2 in a cell. Though it is a Level 5, it is run like a Level 6. You can't possibly think you can change those COs whom were trained for Level 6 to change to Level 5 just because they changed the name of the game. All you can do is make the Best of the Situation. I will say that they have always been very professional. You can always speak with your loveones counselor, get information regarding visitation and lock down and the Warden has approved almost all those whom request to take distance educational college courses. So, for that, I can't complain.
Make the Best of your visits while at Powhatan.

My Hubbie is a Powhatan and I have to say the visits there are great for me. As they said, contact contact! ;) We hold hands the entire time and smooch from time to time when possible. It's a very relaxed atmosphere. And the vending machines always have something in them. I usually stay anywhere fron 2 1/2 hours to 4 hours. All depends on how crowded they are. Dress properly!!!! Or they wont let you in. :thumbsup:The CO's are very pleasant. I am going there this weekend..........

Is powhatan reception and deep meadow the same thing? Or are the two just really close in proximity?

Tuff Act, Powhatan and Deep Meadows are two different facilities that are located on the same compound. They are located in STATE FARM, Virginia.

My brother-law was at Deep Meadows for three months before being transferred to Sussex I. I visited with him there and it's a far cry from Powhatan. The Meadow is a little stricter. :blah:

My husband will be at Deep Meadow until they assign him somewhere more permanant. He has been classified level 3. I was so pleased with the amount of contact at my first visit I can't imagine it getting better. It was so amazing to kiss him after 6 months. I guess i'll keep my fingers crossed for powhatan when he does go down the road...

Tuff Act ask your sweetie to ask his counselor if he can get assigned to Powhatan due to hardship traveling for the wife. They may consider you. I hope it all works out!

Thank You So Mch For All You Offer. I Got A Call Last Night From The Mci Automated Operator Asking All Questions Like Will We Accept Calls Be Responsible Etc... I Still Havent Spoken To My Boy. Man This Shit Is Driving Me, Literally Crazy. I Am Really Having Some Bad Thoughts About What He Is Going Through. I Know I Have To Be Strong, But Damn, How Much, I Know That Sounds Selfish, Because He Is The One Who Is Going Thru All This, But I Am Really Worried. I Wonder How Long It Will Take Him To Get A Call Thru To Us, Or When I Can Go See Him? I Dont Know What Security Level They Will Put Him At. I Am Sure It Will Be A Level 5-6. My Son Is In For 2 First Degree Murder Charges. I Can Sit Here And Write All I Want About What The Circumstances Were But The Fact Of The Matter Is There Are 2 People Who Are Not Here Now. He Wanted To Not Plead Guilty But His Court Appt. Lawyer Said We Had No Choice. He Could Of Gotten Self-defence For The First One Oh I Dont Know Its Such A Long Screwed Up Mess I Dont Even Know Where To Start.. I Hope What I Tell You Stays Between Us. I Dont Know, I Just Dont Knowm Thanks For All You Write

kim, i am so sorry for what you have been through my prayers are with you. i know it is so hard to be in your situation not knowing chris has been gone over a year but i still dont know what to do sometimes. rembember we are here to listen and help if possiable we are not here to judge. I will rembember you and your son in my prayers and if there is anything i can do pm me.