The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office (VBSO) will be featured on a new nonfiction television show “120 Hours Behind Bars” airing on Monday, Feb. 16, at 9 p.m. on Discovery.
The episode, which spans five days at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center, gives an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look into VBSO operations, including Corrections, the Weekender Program, suicide prevention, the K-9 Unit, Classification, the Trusty Program, and efforts to combat contraband. The VBSO is one of several jails featured on the program, with each episode focused on one facility.
“Transparency is a cornerstone of the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office, and inviting a camera crew inside to film our operations is transparency in action. I’m incredibly proud to showcase to the world the important, lifesaving work that our deputies do every day to keep this community safe and help offenders become productive members of society post-incarceration,” said Sheriff Rocky Holcomb. “Most people have no idea what it takes to operate a facility of this size or what it's like to be locked up, and ‘120 Hours Behind Bars’ helps educate the public about this important aspect of our criminal justice system.”
The production company Lucky 8 – which is behind hit television shows including “60 Days In” and “To Catch A Smuggler” – approached the VBSO about participating in the program last year and filmed the episode over a five-day period in November. The camera crew only filmed inmates who agreed to participate in the show. Lucky 8 paid off-duty deputies who escorted them while on-site to minimize the impact to operations without incurring expenses to the VBSO or taxpayers. There was no other compensation for staff or inmates.
The VBSO also continues to be featured in the A&E nonfiction television show “Booked: First Day In”, which “follows arrested individuals through America’s booking process, offering an extraordinary look at the most unusual, bizarre and often tense bookings.” The show is on its
fourth season and airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. Additional information about that program is available at aetv.com .
With an average daily population of 1,000 inmates and a staff of over 500 deputies and civilians, the Virginia Beach Correctional Center is the largest city jail in Virginia. For more information about the VBSO, including hiring opportunities, visit this vbso page.
The news release from Discovery is attached.
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Tune-In Monday, January 19 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel for the Series Premiere of
120 Hours Behind Bars
WHAT: Over five intense days, 120 Hours Behind Bars delivers an unfiltered look inside America’s toughest jails, where officers are outnumbered, cellblocks are overcrowded, and violence erupts without warning.
In the season premiere, Louisiana's Washington Parish Jail is over-capacity and on the brink of spiraling into chaos. The new sheriff and his deputies struggle to bring stability and control in the face of a crumbling facility.
WHEN: Monday, January 19 at 9PM ET/PT
WHERE: On Discovery Channel. Viewers can join the conversation on social media by following Discovery on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for more updates.
Media Contacts:
Michelle DiMartino: michelle.dimartino@wbd.com