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There is a spirit of optimism required to achieve meaningful criminal legal reform at the state level. The optimism is not built from false hope, but from a recognition that meaningful reform is required to ensure we treat people in the system with the dignity and respect they deserve as fellow human beings. The optimism comes from a sense that when people in power understand that dignity and humanity are the goals, that they can and will be convinced reform is necessary.

A group of state advocates for individuals with autism, serious mental illness, dementia, and intellectual and developmental disabilities sent a letter to the Governor of Virginia in response to her veto of SB335/HB246 . The carefully and thoughtfully constructed bills were a many years effort to perfect legislation drafted to protect this vulnerable group of people who might assault a protected person such as a police officer or first responder. Assaulting a protected person is currently punishable by up to five years in prison, with a mandatory minimum term of six months under Virginia law. Read the full letter to Governor Spanberger here:

Commending Bradley R. Haywood: RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Bradley R. Haywood hereby be commended for his legacy of service as the chief public defender of Arlington County and the City of Falls Church; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Bradley R. Haywood as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his contributions to the Commonwealth.

“For many years, advocates have worked with lawmakers to ensure reasonable and necessary recognition of how developmental disabilities (DD), which includes autism, can impact an individual's interactions with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. This advocacy has included efforts to develop and expand Virginia's crisis support system and the overall infrastructure of support for individuals with developmental disabilities and other related conditions,” writes a broad coalition of organizations in a letter to newly elected Governor Spanberger, encouraging her to sign bills that are reflective of many years of bipartisan and evidence-informed policymaking.

We’re hosting our annual, virtual Justice Reform Prep Rally—to educate and mobilize advocates for action–ahead of the 2026 Virginia General Assembly Legislative Session. Our Executive Director, Rob Poggenklass, will host some of Justice Forward Virginia's policy experts live on Zoom–Thursday, January 8th from 6:30PM-7:30PM–to discuss, in depth, this year’s legislative priorities.

Over the last four years, the Virginia General Assembly passed some remarkable evidence-informed—and largely bipartisan—criminal justice reforms aimed to address basic unfairness, yet the Governor aligned himself with the harshest opponents of reform, vetoing most. The vetoed bills were not controversial. They aimed to address outdated laws and procedures that just don’t make sense. Virginians have been left well short of the type of contemporary, humane, evidence-informed practices and procedures that reflect their values. If our 2026 Legislative Priorities look familiar to you, that’s because many of these proposals have already passed the General Assembly!