1. Open Minds
  2. Getting in
  3. RCSO policies

RCSO Policies

Guests of the Richmond City Jail (RCJ) and the Richmond City Jail School must strictly adhere to the policies and guidelines below. Please, remember wherein you are visiting! Please, do not ever take anything told to you or suggested to you or written below as a joke for the RCJ and the RCJ School are not jokes. The safety and security of all guests, RCJ residents, and staff is the number one priority.

Listening to and minding the advice of RCJ Uniform Operations Staff and the RCJ Education staff in all matters is a must for safety and security reasons. The Education staff may at times address all guests or a particular guest in regards to something that needs to be attended to immediately. Do not take such an address/pull-up too personally, but please be mindful of said pull-up immediately for it pertains always to the safety and the security of all guests, all RCJ residents, and all RCJ staff personnel. when the Education staff or any member of the RCJ asks any Guest a question, please answer said RCJ staff directly for such questions assuredly involve the safety and the security of all our RCJ School Guests, residents, and RCJ personnel.

  • Dress code for men and for women: Women cannot wear tank-tops, see-through blouses, short skirts, and cannot display a bare midriff or wear short pants. No guest can have her or his chest exposed or shirt open in a provocative way. Men cannot wear short pants or women’s clothes and/or cross-gender identifying clothes. Men will keep their pants pulled up, exposing no underwear. No one can wear sandals or flip-flops into the RCJ. Remember where you are going to work in and with whom you will be working with when You dress for class in the RCJ.
  • Always bring your valid driver’s license with you when you come for class at the RCJ. Your VCU ID is not considered a valid ID at the RCJ. Without a proper photo ID, you may not enter the Richmond City Jail.
  • Bring nothing but yourself, a simple notebook, needed textbooks, a simple writing utensil, your car keys, your wallet with valid ID, your smile, and your positive heart into the RCJ.
  • There can be no use of illegal drugs during the semester for if there is suspicion that any guest uses illegal drugs (including marijuana), said guest will be banned permanently from the Richmond City Jail.
  • Do not be late to any VCU-RCJ School classes for this totally interferes with the Education staff’s responsibilities. If You are late, don’t bother to come in. If a guest is late all too often, said guest will be banned from the RCJ.
  • Do not bring of any form of electronics (cell phones, i-phones and i-pads, cameras, laptops, etc.) into the RCJ.
  • Do not give any thing of any kind to any resident without the express permission of the Education staff. This includes books, assignments and school supplies.
  • There can be no letter writing or note giving to any resident, ever. Talking and communicating as is appropriate. Discussion before, during, and after each VCU-RCJ School herein the RCJ School’s office, computer lab, and sanctuary is welcomed and encouraged, but always, in all ways, be mindful of who you are speaking with and where you are.
  • There can be no exchange of phone numbers, e-mail addresses, home addresses, contact names, photographs with RCJ residents, ever.
  • No metal objects are allowed in the RCJ. This includes items like metallic pens, drafting pencils, and large jewelry such as large necklaces, earrings, earplugs, ice / blingbling, and wrist bangles. If a guest has large facial and/or ear piercing, jewelry for such a piercing must be removed before entering the RCJ.
  • No weapons are ever allowed in the RCJ. Do not bring a knife, mace, any kind of weapon or anything the RCJ staff may consider a possible weapon into the RCJ.
  • No medications of any kind nor drugs of any kind are ever to be brought in to the RCJ.
  • Do not bring food or drink / drink bottles into the RCJ.
  • Do not bring cigarettes, matches, lighters, pipes, and any type of smoking substance into the RCJ.
  • Intoxication and/or drunkenness before class is a no-no for we of the RCJ do not need immature and not-caring people in our presence. If a guest wants to party or whatever before class in the RCJ, don’t bother coming into the jail for class.
  • No sexual innuendos, gestures, and gesticulations are to be made toward anyone while herein as a guest of the RCJ.
  • When walking to and from class with the Education staff, please move up and down the hallways of the RCJ quickly in a single-file line with no talking. We need to move quickly and purposefully in the jail for safety reasons. Guests of the RCJ can easily relax and be mellow once in the School’s office, computer lab and sanctuary.
  • For safety reasons, if an RCJ resident is recognized and/or known, the Education staff must be told. If an RCJ resident is recognized and/or known by a guest, there can be no communication with said resident.
  • If an RCJ resident drops a note to a guest or hands a note to a guest, speaks out of line with a guest, the Education staff must be informed immediately.
  • If threats are made to a guest by anyone in the RCJ, the Education staff must be told immediately.
  • The practice of non-violence is a must.
  • If any guest violates any major RCJ rule and/or guideline clearly explained to all guests before they first enter the RCJ, the guest will be permanently banned from the property of the RCJ.
  • If any guest ever needs to ask any question about anything, please e-mail the Education staff at Ray.Tademy@richmondgov.com or call the Education staff at (804)646-4003.