The Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center (NRADC) origination began in 1845, when the first Frederick County Jail was constructed on Cameron Street in the City of Winchester. This structure, which remains today, incarcerated offenders for both Frederick County and the City of Winchester until 1979 when Frederick, Clarke, Page, and Shenandoah Counties joined in a collaborative agreement to balance the distribution of offenders between all participants.

In 1987, with overcrowding in most of the area’s jails, causing a threat of the safety and security of the staff and inmates, Clarke County, Frederick County, and the City of Winchester established a regional board in accordance with Virginia Statute to begin planning the development of a new regional detention center. A 22-acre parcel of land, located in the industrial park was selected on which to construct the new regional detention center. Plans were set for the construction of a 251 bed Main Jail and a 99 bed Work Release Center. Construction of these structures began in 1989 by Howard Shockey & Sons.

The first to be completed was the Work Release Center in December of 1990. This allowed for the first inmates from Clarke County to be transferred to the new facility. Then in February of 1991, the construction of the Main Jail was completed and in March, all inmates from the three jurisdictions were moved into the new facilities.

In 1998, Fauquier County became a member of the Regional Jail. While the Regional Jail housed many of the inmates incarcerated for Fauquier County, the local Sheriff’s Jail in Warrenton remained open, facilitating pre-trial and a select number of convicted inmates.

As the facility’s population began to rise, approaching 420 inmates in March of 2005, the Regional Jail Board met and agreed on converting to a Jail Authority, allowing for the Jail’s capacity to increase through new construction. After agreement by the governing bodies for each participating jurisdiction, the Jail Authority approved the construction of a 204 bed Community Corrections Center on an 11-acre parcel that was adjacent to the Main Facility. The Main Facility was also expanded upon, with the construction of an 86-bed housing unit.

As with the initial construction, Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. was selected for the build. Construction for the new Community Corrections Center began in June 2005. By July of 2006 the center was completed and occupied. After the completion of the Community Corrections Center, construction of the new 86-bed housing unit began and was completed in August 2007.

Improvements and modifications to the facility over the years have been continuous. While some changes allow for housing a greater number of inmates, many more occur to provide overall better facilities for the inmates that are housed at the Regional Jail. At the current phase, the facility has the ability to hold a capacity of 1027 inmates.