Duffield Inmate Files Lawsuit Alleging State and Jail Officials Improperly Removed Him from Program

Written by: Sam Orlando

ROANOKE, VA - An inmate at Duffield Regional Jail has filed a federal lawsuit against officials at a Virginia jail facility alleging a wrongful removal from a rehabilitation program. The case, numbered 7:23-cv-00652-JPJ-PMS, was filed on October 12th, 2023 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

The plaintiff, Jullian Huffman, claims he was improperly removed from the Appalachian Community Corrections Alternative Program (ACCAP) in Honaker, VA after filing a complaint against the jail administration. According to the court documents, Huffman was participating in various rehabilitation programs, including substance abuse counseling, anger management, decisions points, and the Virginia Dept. of Transportation Flagger Certification.

He was reportedly removed from the program for his safety following an incident in May 2023.

Huffman alleges that the administration had alternatives to removing him from the program, such as relocating him to a different Community Corrections Alternative Program (CCAP) or releasing him to his family. He asserts that the decision to remove him was in retaliation for a complaint he filed against the facility with the Virginia Department of Corrections Regional Administrator in Roanoke, Virginia.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are Superintendent Shannon Fuller, Major Tracy Davidson, Senior Probation Officer Eddie Adams, Probation Officer Brayden Plaster, Probation Officer Bobby Adkins, Probation Officer Mr. Garrett, and Sergent Blankinship. All are affiliated with the jail or associated programs in Honaker, VA.

Huffman is seeking compensation in the amount of $8,050 and credit for the community service he completed while in the program. He has also requested a trial by jury.

The court documents reveal that Huffman was first transferred from the Abingdon Regional Jail to the Harrisonburg Community Corrections Alternative Program (HCCAP) in Harrisonburg, Virginia in December 2022. He spent about five weeks there before being moved to the ACCAP in January 2023.

The lawsuit is currently in the preliminary stages, and it remains to be seen how the court will proceed.