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The Virginia Department of Corrections is exploring major changes for the 4,051 pastoral acres it owns on both sides of the James River in Goochland and Powhatan counties and the facilities it operates there.

A state budget amendment introduced this year by Sen. John Watkins, R-Powhatan, directs the department to “prepare a long-range plan to consolidate the secure correctional facilities at the James River-Powhatan complex on the south side of the James River in Powhatan County.”

Among other things, the study will look at replacement options for James River Correctional Center, the state’s oldest prison. The medium-security prison, which opened in 1896, is on 1,202 acres on the Goochland side of the river along with the James River Work Center and a training academy.

The plan—due Nov. 1 to the state’s secretary of public safety and the chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees—will include the estimated cost to replace James River Correctional Center and “adjacent work centers” with new facilities to be constructed in Powhatan.

But Watkins says the idea is to look at all options, not just moving things south of the river.

“What I asked was that the Department of Corrections look at everything and make some recommendations,” he said, noting that Powhatan Correctional Facility, a medium-security facility that opened in 1926, also would need to be replaced soon.

“What are we going to do, when are we going to do it and where are we going to put it? That’s really what it comes down to,” Watkins said.

An assessment of the value of property at the James River Correctional Center is also to be part of the study.

Asked whether the idea was to sell the state-owned land—which boasts verdant views of the river and rolling hills off state Route 6—Watkins said it’s possible.

“All options are on the table,” he said. “You can’t make decisions without information.”

The budget amendment specifies that farming operations along the river’s floodplain in Goochland should be maintained as well as the academy for staff development. Excluding the academy, Goochland records show that JRCC sits on 1,123 acres.

Goochland Supervisor Ned S. Creasey said the land would be prime real estate in the already affluent area of the county.

“I would think that a creative person can come up with some unique possibilities there for that property,” he said.

He noted that the cash-strapped county government would love to see some business emerge if the state did see fit to sell any land.

“Something to generate revenue,” he said.

Powhatan Supervisor Joe Walton said even the idea of another prison in Powhatan didn’t bother him, if it meant improvements to existing facilities.

“I would think that having a higher quantity of better-designed buildings that are safer and more efficient seems like a good tradeoff,” he said.

“Whatever they do, I hope it improves the light pollution emanating from the complex,” he added, describing the night sky near the Powhatan facilities as a “massive orange glow.”

Watkins said that the forthcoming study—to begin after the next fiscal year begins July 1—was another reason that a planned law-enforcement shooting range in Powhatan should be delayed.

The range, which would be built on 18 acres deeded to state police by the Department of Corrections, has been strongly opposed by residents and Powhatan leaders.

“I think we need to be able to anticipate if something like this firing range is going to have an impact on the future placement of other facilities out there,” Watkins said.

The Department of Corrections operates another shooting range on the Goochland side of the river. As part of the JRCC property, its location will also be considered as part of the study.

The department declined to talk about the specifics of the study or what exactly would be included.

“This is still in its infancy, and there is no one to talk to about this at this time,” said department spokesman Larry Traylor. “We will not discuss this until completion.”

A separate budget item requires the department to assess which correctional facilities should be closed next, also due Nov. 1.

A year and a half ago, the department identified James River as one of its five oldest facilities that needed replacement.

For the year that ended June 30, 2009, the prison’s annual budget was $16.4 million, or $35,370 per inmate, compared with a $25,109 average annual per inmate cost for all of the department’s major facilities.

However, the department says that the large and essential agribusiness operations at James River account for almost 20 percent of the expenditures at James River boosting the annual per capita inmate cost.

Wesley P. Hester is a staff writer for The Richmond Times-Dispatch. Times-Dispatch writer Frank Green contributed to this report.

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