RICHMOND — This week, the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) recognizes the men and women who promote long-lasting public safety and serve on the front line of Virginia’s prisons.

Governor Glenn Youngkin has proclaimed May 7 through May 13 to be Correctional Officers Week in Virginia, honoring those who serve as Correctional Officers in the Commonwealth.

“Correctional Officers are at the forefront of the Department’s mission of protecting and helping people to be better,” said Harold Clarke, Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections. “The success of the Department takes a team effort and Correctional Officers play a vital role in the agency’s goal of helping others. Our officers deserve to be recognized for their hard work, courage, and dedication. They serve as positive influences for inmates who are looking to become valued members of society upon re-entry.”

VADOC has emphasized communication, learning, and the use of evidence-based practices to further the Department’s mission of helping people to be better. Correctional Officers have played a vital role in all those areas. The Department has consistently maintained one of the lowest recidivism rates in the nation, most recently 20.6 percent, because of its well-trained and knowledgeable staff and acclaimed and accredited programmatic efforts.

“Virginia’s Correctional Officers provide a vital service to the Commonwealth by promoting long-lasting public safety,” said A. David Robinson, VADOC’s Chief of Corrections Operations. “They have risen and exceeded the challenges faced over this past year, and they have upheld the Department’s high-security standard at each facility around the Commonwealth of Virginia. They are an integral component of public safety in Virginia, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude.”

VADOC will recognize its Correctional Officers this week. The Department is the largest state agency in Virginia and more than half of its employees are Correctional Officers.