{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/53.1-39.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/53.1-39.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/53.1-39.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/53.1-39.html"}],"law_id":367747,"edition_id":2,"section_id":367747,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-39","catch_line":"Certain punishment of prisoners prohibited","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 53-55; 1982, c. 636; 2020, c. 759.","full_text":"Notwithstanding any provision of this Code or of any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, it shall be unlawful for the Director, the Board, or any other correctional authority having the care, custody, or control of any prisoner in this Commonwealth to make or enforce any rule or regulation providing for the whipping, flogging, or administration of any similar corporal punishment of any prisoner, or to give any specific order for or to cause to be administered or personally to administer or inflict any such corporal punishment.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1368909,"text":"Notwithstanding any provision of this Code or of any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, it shall be unlawful for the Director, the Board, or any other correctional authority having the care, custody, or control of any prisoner in this Commonwealth to make or enforce any rule or regulation providing for the whipping, flogging, or administration of any similar corporal punishment of any prisoner, or to give any specific order for or to cause to be administered or personally to administer or inflict any such corporal punishment.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52421,"edition_id":2,"name":"Treatment and Privileges of Prisoners","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":2,"parent_id":52400,"metadata":{"child_laws":20,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:58:35","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:45","permalink":{"id":1464955,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52421,"identifier":"2","token":"53.1\/2\/2","url":"\/53.1\/2\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52400,"edition_id":2,"name":"State Correctional Facilities","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":2,"parent_id":52379,"metadata":{"child_laws":99,"child_structures":11},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:58:25","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:45","permalink":{"id":1464863,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52400,"identifier":"2","token":"53.1\/2","url":"\/53.1\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52379,"edition_id":2,"name":"Prisons and Other Methods of Correction","identifier":"53.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":117,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":402,"child_structures":56},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:58:08","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:44","permalink":{"id":1464593,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52379,"identifier":"53.1","token":"53.1","url":"\/53.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":367734,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-32","catch_line":"Treatment and control of prisoners; recreation; religious services","url":"\/53.1-32\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-32","metadata":false},{"id":367731,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-32.01","catch_line":"Payment for bodily injury","url":"\/53.1-32.01\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-32.01","metadata":false},{"id":367732,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-32.1","catch_line":"Classification system; program assignments; mandatory participation","url":"\/53.1-32.1\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-32.1","metadata":false},{"id":367733,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-32.2","catch_line":"Reentry planning","url":"\/53.1-32.2\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-32.2","metadata":false},{"id":367736,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-33","catch_line":"Physical examination of prisoner; ability to work","url":"\/53.1-33\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-33","metadata":false},{"id":367735,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-33.1","catch_line":"Mandatory testing for human immunodeficiency virus","url":"\/53.1-33.1\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-33.1","metadata":false},{"id":367737,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-34","catch_line":"Treatment of prisoner with contagious disease","url":"\/53.1-34\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-34","metadata":false},{"id":367740,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-35","catch_line":"Correspondence privileges; 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data collection and reporting; report","url":"\/53.1-39.1\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-39.1","metadata":false},{"id":367745,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-39.2","catch_line":"Restorative housing; restrictions on use","url":"\/53.1-39.2\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-39.2","metadata":false},{"id":367746,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-39.3","catch_line":"Use of canines in state correctional facilities; prohibited acts; policies and regulations made public; incidents of use of canines reported; exception","url":"\/53.1-39.3\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-39.3","metadata":false},{"id":367767,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-40","catch_line":"Appointment of counsel for indigent prisoners","url":"\/53.1-40\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-40","metadata":false},{"id":367749,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-40.01","catch_line":"Conditional release of geriatric prisoners","url":"\/53.1-40.01\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-40.01","metadata":false},{"id":367750,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-40.02","catch_line":"Conditional release of terminally ill prisoners","url":"\/53.1-40.02\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-40.02","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":367743,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-38","catch_line":"When ineligible for furloughs","url":"\/53.1-38\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-38","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":367744,"structure_id":52421,"section_number":"53.1-39.1","catch_line":"Restrictive housing; data collection and reporting; report","url":"\/53.1-39.1\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-39.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/53.1-39\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1982, chapter 636; in 2020, chapter 759<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1465009,"object_type":"law","relational_id":367747,"identifier":"53.1-39","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-39","url":"\/53.1-39\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/53.1-39\/","token":"53.1\/2\/2\/53.1-39","dublin_core":{"Title":"Certain punishment of prisoners prohibited","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 53.1-39","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Notwithstanding any provision of this Code or of any other law<\/span>, rule, or regulation to the contrary, it shall be unlawful for the Director<\/span>, the Board<\/span>, or any other correctional authority having the care, custody<\/span>, or control of any prisoner in this Commonwealth to make or enforce any rule or regulation providing for the whipping, flogging, or administration of any similar corporal punishment of any prisoner, or to give any specific order<\/span> for or to cause to be administered or personally to administer or inflict any such corporal punishment.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCERTAIN PUNISHMENT OF PRISONERS PROHIBITED (\u00a7 53.1-39)\n\nNotwithstanding any provision of this Code or of any other law, rule, or\nregulation to the contrary, it shall be unlawful for the Director, the Board, or\nany other correctional authority having the care, custody, or control of any\nprisoner in this Commonwealth to make or enforce any rule or regulation\nproviding for the whipping, flogging, or administration of any similar corporal\npunishment of any prisoner, or to give any specific order for or to cause to be\nadministered or personally to administer or inflict any such corporal\npunishment.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 53-55; 1982, c. 636; 2020, c. 759.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}