It was adjacent to Sussex I State Prison, which lies to its southeast, just across Mussellwhite Drive.

In terms of building structure, the facility was identical to Sussex I State Prison.

An agreement was reached with the county Board of Supervisors for the state to instead make an annual "Payment in Lieu of Taxes", a service fee based on the land's value.

In 2010, during the Great Recession, this payment was cut from the state budget by then Governor Tim Kaine.

According to a press release from VADOC the closure decisions were made “to enhance employee, inmate, and probationer safety, to address longstanding staffing challenges, and in consideration of significant ongoing maintenance costs.”.