VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Sheriff Rocky Holcomb and the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office (VBSO) will bid farewell to Dr. Abdul Jamaludeen, better known as “Dr. J”, on Friday, July 12, as he retires after more than 23 years providing healthcare to the inmates of the Virginia Beach Correctional Center. His retirement luncheon starts at 11 a.m. in the VBSO Muster Room.
“Virginia Beach jail inmates are fortunate to have had the care and compassion of Dr. Jamaludeen over the past two decades,” said Holcomb. “His commitment to serving an often-overlooked population is second to none. We are going to miss Dr. J and all he’s accomplished for the inmate population. We will also miss his one-of-a-kind sock collection!”
Jamaludeen, who once ran his own practice, said he enjoyed providing healthcare in the jail because it allowed him to give continuous care to its 1,000 inmates, many of whom have not had access to routine medical care for years. He has been able to establish one-on-one relationships and treat chronic conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, while they’re in custody and teach them how to manage those conditions upon release. He made over 3,000 sick calls last year.
“It’s an underserved population and we see a lot of people who have neglected their health for a long time for whatever reason and to restore their health is very satisfying,” Jamaludeen said.
Jamaludeen plans to retire to his native Baltimore (even though he still hasn’t forgiven the Colts for leaving the city under cover of night in 1984).
Media interested in covering this event should contact Public Information Officer Toni Guagenti at tguagenti@vbso.net or 757-385-8446.