Criminal Justice Reform Weekly Roundup - July 31, 2020
State Updates
Virginia Legislature Special Session convenes on August 18, 2020
In the second of three hearings, the Virginia House of Delegates Joint Committee Meeting of Courts of Justice and Public Safety Committees heard testimony regarding officer training, stopping pretextual policing and eliminating mandatory minimum sentences. The final hearing will be held on August 6, where the committees will discuss no-knock warrants, establishing and empowering civilian review boards, and reducing use of force by police officers. [WHSV3]
11 commonwealth’s attorneys form a new group, “Virginia Progressive Prosecutors for Justice” to advocate for elimination of the automatic mandatory 6-month driver’s license suspension for drug convictions, and elimination of mandatory minimum sentences among other reforms. [Daily Press]
Earlier this summer, the Office of the Attorney General, the ACLU of Virginia and Charlottesville attorney Elliott Harding and Gov. Ralph Northam, Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran, among other state officials reached a settlement regarding medically vulnerable people in Virginia Department of Corrections custody during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the settlement, the Department is required to disclose the number of individuals that have been reviewed for early release to avoid exposure to COVID-19, as well as the number that are ultimately granted an early release. [ACLU of Virginia]
As of this week, 1,000 people have been reviewed for early release from Virginia Department of Corrections facilities following the ACLU settlement; 36 people were released this week, making a total of 778 medically vulnerable people who have been released in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [ACLU of Virginia]
Nearly 93% of all individuals detained at the ICE facility in Farmville tested positive for COVID-19; Gov. Ralph Northam and Virginia’s two U.S. Senators sent two separate letters to President Trump requesting he send a team from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to assist. [ABC 8News]
Local Updates
During Monday’s meeting, the Richmond City Council unanimously voted to form a working group to develop a plan to implement the proposed “Marcus Alert” program, which would “require mental health professionals to be the first responders in a suspected or confirmed mental health crisis.” The Council voted to deny a resolution to reconsider police funding. [NBC29]
The Richmond City Council was originally scheduled to discuss police use of force during their meeting on August 3, but as of July 30 the topic has been removed from the agenda. [NBC29]
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted to back the Virginia Black Legislative Caucus’ priorities for next months’ special session. [Loudoun Times-Mirror]
Further Information
A study finds that increased numbers of School Resource Officers (SROs) does not improve school safety and it increases the criminalization of school discipline. Local activists have called for reduced numbers or removal of SROs in Virginia schools. [Criminology & Public Policy/WUSA9]
Communities across the country, including those in Virginia, grapple with the question of whether police officers can be trained to de-escalate conflict; The Washington Post discusses this in an episode of their daily podcast. [Washington Post]