RICHMOND, Va. (WCYB) — Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has appointed Joseph Walters as the 11th Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC), effective Saturday, January 17.
“I am deeply honored and humbled by the opportunity to lead this agency and to serve the Commonwealth of Virginia in this role,” said Director Walters. “I am especially grateful for the trust Governor Spanberger has placed in me and for the opportunity to continue working alongside the dedicated professionals of the Virginia Department of Corrections. I look forward to serving the more than 8.8 million Virginians who depend on our work every day.”
Walters brings more than 30 years of public safety experience to the position. He has served as VADOC’s Senior Deputy Director, a role he assumed in 2025. In 2024, he was appointed to serve as the agency’s chief law enforcement officer while also serving as Deputy Director for Administration, a position to which he was promoted in 2018. Walters first joined the VADOC in 2015 as the agency’s human resources director…