Virginia Code Title 53.1. Prisons and Other Methods of Correction § 53.1-143. How officers authorized

The Director shall employ officers to carry out the powers and duties prescribed in § 53.1-145 and elsewhere in this article. The Director shall submit the names of eligible officers to the judge or judges of the judicial circuit where the officer is initially assigned to be authorized to act as an officer of the court.

The judge or judges of the judicial circuit to which an officer is assigned shall authorize the officer to serve as an officer of the court to carry out the power and duties prescribed in § 53.1-145 and elsewhere in this article. When the area of a probation and parole district lies in two or more judicial circuits, the probation and parole officers shall be authorized by joint action of the judges of the several circuits. If there are more than two such judges, a majority vote shall control the authorization.

Whenever the authorization is to be made by two judges and they fail to agree within 60 days of the Director's assignment of such officer, the Director shall authorize the officer to serve the judicial circuits of the Commonwealth.

The authorization of an officer by the judicial circuit to which the officer is initially assigned shall be valid in all judicial circuits in the Commonwealth regardless of subsequent assignments.