Since we were founded by public defenders in 2017, we’ve ended mandatory jury sentencing, placed unprecedented limits on pretextual policing, capped probation terms & jail time for technical violations, and scores of other needed reforms. Today even more reforms become law. 1/8: Until today, Virginia was one of eleven remaining states that allowed the indiscriminate shackling of children in court. HB 2222 (@Rae_Cousins23) & SB 1255 (@DPVAChair) prohibits this practice to ensure fairness, due process rights, and our children’s well-being in our courts. 2/

LATE & BREAKING: @VaHouse & @VASenate passed EIGHT of our legislative priorities AND stopped the expansion of mass surveillance. The Governor has until 3/24 to sign, amend, or veto. Scroll the thread to see what restoring justice to our communities & courthouses could look like: VA allows the indiscriminate shackling of kids in court, using both leg and arm shackles, regardless of the charge. 39 other states, Puerto Rico, & D.C. have banned or limited this practice. HB2222/SB1255 passed unanimously and would make us the 40th state to do away with it. 2/

If you care about bail reform this thread is for you: Virginians charged with a crime used to be held pretrial on mere accusation, not because they were actually a danger to anyone. Pretrial detention rates ranked higher than the nat’l average…our pretrial system was broken. 1/ Individuals should not be held on the mere accusation of a crime, so in 2021, lawmakers in the @vahouse @vasenate passed legislation ending presumptions against bail—making it law that if government wants to hold someone pretrial, it should have to convince a judge to do that. 2/

The Need for a #SecondLook—Feb.’22 report by nonpartisan @JusticePolicy—analyzes Virginia’s heavy-handed reliance on lengthy prison sentences & reveals how extreme sentences play a significant role in our mass incarceration crisis & surging geriatric prison population.

A THREAD: The number of people in VA’s prison system, which declined for the first time in 2009 after four decades of growth, has plateaued in recent years and remains plagued with dysfunction that keeps people locked up for extremely long sentences, costing us a BILLION dollars a year. 2/

2021 was a year of meaningful comprehensive changes to VA’s criminal justice system. As it comes to a close we’re taking a look back at what we’ve accomplished together, adding highlights to the thread throughout the day. Thanks to everyone in the movement—justice forward! 1/ Incarcerating someone for 5 yrs for stealing something worth less than $1K is facially unreasonable, but that’s exactly what VA’s Petty Larceny three strikes rule did. @KenPlum1’s HB2290 ELIMINATED the enhanced policy that put Virginians in a needless cycle of systemic abuse. 2/

VA abolished parole in 1995 and offers almost no mechanisms to review sentences or provide second chances to incarcerated Virginians who have worked diligently to grow, change, and repay their debt to society.

A THREAD for those who want to to join efforts to change that: 1/ VA abolished parole, replacing it w/ a “truth in sentencing” system guaranteeing incarcerated Virginians serve at least 85% of their time—leading directly to increases in the length of sentences AND elimination of one of the strongest incentives for one to rehabilitate. 2/

The U.S. is the world’s leading jailer, with over 2M people currently caged—a 500% increase over the last 40 years. The staggering increase is no accident. It’s the result of decades of ruthless public policy decisions—driven by politically fueled crime panic narratives. 1/11 From the founding of the U.S to present, stories creating panics about crime waves or criminal behavior are ultimately met with policy that dictates the ever-expanding state surveillance and control of people of color, frankly, to make white people feel “safer.” 2/

So, just the intern here—bosses are “out of town” and I’m left to my own devices, I mean what could go wrong!? This lawyer guy poses what seems like a good question about Va. Court of Appeals judges, cool, i’m going investigate! We’ll see if I still have a “job” Mon.,A THREAD: 1/ So, check it, this hunky att’y replies to a tweet, he’s like, “does anyone know how many former Public Defenders have ever been appointed to Va’s Court of Appeals?” And I’m like, nope, but here’s my big research opportunity, you know, impress the bosses. 2/

https://twitter.com/rexflynnesq/status/1424477212426833922?s=21

We’ll be honest, we’re worried we’re not going to see the type of professional diversity on the Court of Appeals we all know is critical to fair outcomes in our legal system. The Va. Way of filling judicial vacancies is as transparent as a brick wall, but here’s what we know: 1/6 Next week is when we’ll see votes on Court of Appeals nominees. The original 80 applicants have been narrowed down to a list of 16 candidates for the Senate and House to consider appointing to eight open Court of Appeals seats.  2/6

Only 72 hrs until @CBS6 hosts its VA Democratic primary debate. Amidst a historic civil rights movement focused on criminal justice reform, we need to know which candidates support the movement and which will allow it to stagnate. Here are the questions we'd like answered: 1/21 Agree or disagree: Virginia’s criminal legal system has caused untold harm to people of color harm that must be undone through reforms that prioritize racial justice and equity. Agree? What’s your plan? @TerryMcAuliffe @JCarrollFoy @JennMcClellanVA @FairfaxJustin @carterforva 2/

Tonight, the Virginia General Assembly reportedly agreed on a marijuana legalization compromise that, from the perspective of racial justice, is worse than the status quo. How can that be? We’ll explain... 1/6 As we understand it, the compromise creates new crimes like possession in a vehicle & possession under age 21, and new pretexts like “transportation” & offering or consuming marijuana in a public place—all of which will be enforced disproportionately against Black Virginians. 2/6

Matthew Rushin was sentenced to 10yrs in prison for intentionally causing a car crash. He maintains it was an accident, but VA law prohibited introducing evidence of his autism disorder proving that. VA lawmakers are hung up over a bill to change this. 1/4 theappeal.org/virginia-menta… People accused of crimes in Virginia are prohibited from submitting Evidence of Mental Illness during trial because of a 1985 Virginia Supreme Court decision that ruled a person’s mental state was irrelevant unless a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity is entered. 2/4

ANOTHER #EndMandatoryMinimums tweet thread?! You’re DARN right it is?! We’ll stop when #VAGeneralAssembly ends them ALL—but in the meantime, nestle in (especially you @VAHouseDems) while we take you on a journey around the broad support the Repeal of Mand Mins has garnered. 1/13 Back in 2019, @GovernorVA said he was NOT going to sign anymore into law, adding, “imposing mandatory minimum sentences eliminates the discretion of judges and juries, and ties the hands of the individuals entrusted to make these important decisions.” washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/… 2/13

False info regarding the “cost” of jury sentencing reform is jeopardizing the passage of SB5007 by @VAHouseDems. We’ve got the data that should put those costs arguments to rest for good. Ready? 1/3 @DelegateTorian @MarkSicklesVA @EFillerCorn @kmurphyva @JeionWard Acc. to the Va. Crim. Sent. Comm’n, there were 24,648 guidelines sentencing events in 2019. Only 1.2% of those were from jury trials. That means a TOTAL of only 287 convictions resulted from jury trials all year. More than 24,000 were bench trials (8%) or guilty pleas (90%). 2/3

Justice reform allies! You may have heard the great news that @IbraheemSamirah has requested a re-vote on HB5013, @JeffMBourne's modest partial repeal of qualified immunity. What you may not have heard is that we still need one more vote! 1/6 @KayeKory, ordinarily an ally, abstained on Fri, but we're told she might reconsider. Also abstaining were @DelegateFowler & @CliffHayesJr. Dems voting against incl @DavidBulova, who famously marched in support of CJR recently, @shelly_simonds, @MarthaMugler & @SteveHeretick 2/6