July 23, 2020–Virginia will be hosting a special session in August 2020 where legislative leaders will consider a variety of criminal justice reform proposals. Due Process Institute joined a bipartisan coalition of nine groups calling for the adoption of significant policing and criminal justice reforms such as ending mandatory minimums, expanding expungement, and improving police accountability.
“The COVID-19 crisis and recent calls for criminal justice reform create an inflection point for Virginia to lead the rest of the country by ensuring an effective justice system characterized by restoration and equality for all,” said Jeremiah Mosteller, Policy Counsel at Due Process Institute. “As a Virginian, I have been encouraged by the steps our General Assembly has already taken in recent sessions to improve our justice system and urge our elected leaders to utilize this unique opportunity to fix the remaining problems. These solutions should seek to reduce overcriminalization, improve accountability in policing, and ensure everyone’s constitutional rights are protected in the Commonwealth’s justice system.”