Do inmates have a VFOIA?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only with a court order
• D. Not applicable to inmates

Answer: (D)

VFOIA is about making records held by Virginia government agencies available to the public. Inmates aren’t treated as part of the general public for this process, and records inside the correctional system are protected for security, safety, and privacy reasons. Because of these protections, inmates don’t have a VFOIA right, so the act isn’t applicable to them. If someone outside the inmate population wants records about corrections, they can use VFOIA; for inmates to access such information, other legal avenues (like court-ordered processes) would be involved.