RICHMOND – Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) Director Joseph W. Walters today announced the selection of Gene Beasley as the Department’s next Deputy Director for Institutions following a nationwide executive search.
Beasley brings more than 30 years of correctional and public safety leadership experience to the role. This includes a distinguished career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where he rose through the ranks from Correctional Officer to Deputy Director, the second-highest leadership position in the agency. Since moving to Virginia in 2024, Beasley has served as Director of Adult Detention for the City of Danville.
Beasley has led complex correctional operations at the institutional, regional, and national levels during his correctional career. His experience includes service in the
Federal Bureau of Prisons as Western Regional Director, Deputy Regional Director, Complex Warden, Associate Warden, Regional Human Resource Administrator, and numerous other leadership roles. His career reflects a deep commitment to public safety, operational excellence, workforce development, and professional corrections.
As Deputy Director for Institutions, Beasley will serve as a member of the Director’s senior leadership team and provide executive leadership for the Department’s 38 correctional facilities and thousands of correctional professionals across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“Mr. Beasley emerged from a highly competitive national search as the clear choice to serve as the next Deputy Director for Institutions,” said Director Walters. “His significant experience as a leader in corrections — serving as a Correctional Officer to Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons — provides an extraordinary depth of knowledge of correctional operations and effective reentry practices. I am pleased Mr. Beasley will be joining the agency, and I am confident he will enhance the operations of Virginia’s correctional facilities, support our dedicated correctional employees, and advance our mission of providing long-term and lasting public safety.”
Beasley joins the Department as VADOC continues its focus on public safety, operational excellence, workforce development, and the advancement of modern correctional practices. The VADOC is a nationally recognized leader in corrections, and Beasley will be responsible for ensuring safe and secure correctional facilities, preparing incarcerated individuals for successful reentry, and fostering a culture grounded in professionalism, accountability, integrity, and service.
“I am honored by the opportunity to serve in this role and join an organization with such a strong reputation for correctional excellence,” said Beasley. “I look forward to working alongside Director Walters and the dedicated employees of the Virginia Department of Corrections to enhance public safety across the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Beasley will assume his duties as Deputy Director for Institutions on June 25, 2026.
