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The number of youths held in juvenile justice facilities fell by 75% between 2000 and 2022. (Jan H. Anderson/Adobe Stock)

Study: Youth incarceration is declining but challenges remain

Youth incarceration has declined significantly in Virginia and around the country since 2000, according to a new report but disparities and …

Officer hiring and retention has struggled since 2020 amid rising public distrust in policing and concerns over excessive violence from forces. (Tomasz Zajda/Adobe Stock

Report: Police apprenticeships can help combat officer shortages

Police departments across the U.S. have struggled with officer shortages in recent years but a new report showed how youth apprenticeship programs …

Homicide rates have dropped in the past year in Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Richmond, but advocates say gun violence remains too high. (New Africa/Adobe Stock)

Report: Violent crime rates continue to fall from pandemic heights

Violent crime rates in major U.S. cities are continuing to fall from the heights they reached during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report …

The Vera Institute estimated more than 760,000 incarcerated people became eligible for Pell Grants when access was reinstated in 2023. (Adobe Stock)

VA can bolster higher education access for incarcerated people

Virginia advocates believe more can be done to make higher education accessible to incarcerated people. Only a handful of community colleges partner …

Seg�n una estimaci�n del Instituto Vera, m�s de 760,000 personas encarceladas pasaron a ser elegibles para recibir los subsidios Pell cuando se restableci� el acceso en 2023. (Adobe Stock)

VA podría reforzar el acceso a enseñanza superior de personas encarceladas

Los defensores de Virginia creen que se puede hacer más para que la educación superior sea accesible para las personas encarceladas…

A recent Council on Criminal Justice Report finds homicide has reached 2020 levels (24%) this year, after peaking at 40% in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Report: VA, US Crime Rates See Post-Pandemic Decline

A recent report finds crime across cities in Virginia and the nation is in sharp decline. The Council for Criminal Justice report tracked crime data …

According to research from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Virginia police estimate there are 31,000 active protective orders on file at any given time in the state. (Adobe Stock)

VA Group Working to Aid Domestic Violence Victims, Survivors

A Virginia group is working to ensure abusers can't use the courts to keep harming their victims. Commonly called "abusive litigation," these come …

According to research from the Council on Community Justice Task Force on Long Sentences, people serving long sentences make up more than half of the U.S. incarcerated population. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Making Longer Prison Sentences 'More Effective'

A new report outlines ways that states like Virginia could rethink long prison sentences and how to use them more sparingly. The Council on …

One recommendation made to improve the Virginia Parole Board is to have parole officers take a more active role in discharge procedures. (Adobe Stock)

New Report Reviews VA Parole Board Duties, Issues

The Virginia Parole Board has issued a report that outlines its past problems and the steps it could take to rebuild public trust. The work began in 2…

At the United Nations, the United States was one of several nations to vote against a recent global moratorium on using the death penalty. The vote had 125 nations in favor, 37 opposed and 22 abstaining. (Adobe Stock)

Death Penalty Opponents Seek End to Federal Executions

Virginia is the only Southern state to have abolished the death penalty, and there's a new push in the new year to end it nationally as well…

According to The Sentencing Project, more than one in four kids are detained upon their arrest. (Adobe Stock)

Virginia Bill Proposes Public Health Approach to Juvenile Justice

The Virginia General Assembly has given bipartisan approval to a measure one advocate believes could lead to significant changes to the Commonwealth's…

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, as of last July, 15 U.S. cities had banned police from using facial-recognition technology. (Adobe Stock)

Virginia Bill Would Expand Police Use of Facial-Recognition Technology

Virginia lawmakers are pursuing a bill which would allow police to use facial-recognition technology in certain cases, a year after the General …

Virginia has faced several lawsuits over its use of long-term solitary confinement. A class action lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union alleges the 12 plaintiffs in the case were kept in isolation for periods ranging from two to 24 years. (Adobe Stock)

Bill Would Reduce Solitary Confinement in Virginia Prisons

Solitary confinement has been widely condemned by human-rights activists, and a new bill making its way through the Virginia General Assembly would …

Public schools need to minimize arrests at schools by using emergency mental-health teams instead of police officers to address behavioral incidents at school, according to a Sentencing Project report. (Adobe stock)

Report: Invest COVID Funds to Close School-to-Prison Pipeline

ARLINGTON, Va. -- As a Northern Virginia school system transitions away from using police officers in schools, a new report suggests COVID stimulus …

Analyzing body camera footage from more than 100 police officers and 250 audio clips, a new study finds officers spoke to Black men with less warmth, respect and ease compared to white men. (Adobe stock)<br />

New Virginia Research Center to Connect Police, People of Color

PETERSBURG, Va. - As Virginia law enforcement agencies adjust to a number of new policing laws this year, a new state think tank represents the first …

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

RICHMOND, Va. -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both …

Susan Bro started the Heather Heyer Foundation to fight for social justice in honor of her daughter, who died during a 2017 protest against white supremacists. (Ben Rekhi)

Documentary Highlights Hope in Healing Nation’s Divides

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- With former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial demonstrating deep divisions in the nation, a new documentary released …

With U.S. cannabis sales hitting $20 billion last year, Virginia joined four other states considering bills to legalize marijuana. (Adobe Stock)

Virginia Lawmakers to Include Racial Equity in Marijuana Bill

RICHMOND, Va. -- As Virginia's General Assembly debates legalizing marijuana, a House panel met this weekend to fine-tune the bill and include racial-…

Death-penalty opponents hold a protest in front of the Supreme Court in July 2019. (Death Penalty Action)

Supreme Court Gives Go-Ahead to Resume Federal Executions

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Supreme Court's rejection of a challenge to new federal death penalty protocols is a win for the Trump administration and paves …

Law enforcement officers with no visible identification wait for protesters in downtown Washington, D.C., on Sat., June 6. (Wikimedia Commons)

Groups Demand Armed Officers in Protests Show Badges

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Despite a weekend of peaceful protests in Washington, D.C., over the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, civil liberties …

Demonstrators in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, square off against riot police on Tuesday. (Courtesy of Brandy Boyce)

Washington Protesters Decry Police Use of Military-Style Tactics

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Just two days after peaceful protesters were dispersed with tear gas and rubber bullets near the White House, demonstrators in the …

The daily population in Virginia's youth detention centers plummeted by more than 50% from 2015 to 2018. (Adobe Stock)

Pandemic Leads to Powerful Drop in Juvenile Detention

RICHMOND, Va. -- Juvenile detentions have plummeted dramatically during the pandemic, according to a new report, bolstering efforts by reform groups…

Virginia is looking to join 11 states and Washington, D.C. in operating its own health insurance marketplaces. (Adobe stock)

VA Lawmakers Urged to Swap ACA for Less Expensive State Plan

RICHMOND, Va. -- A health care coalition is pressing Virginia lawmakers to back a bill that would create a new state-based health insurance program…

Virginia lawmakers are looking to close a loophole that allows people to buy guns privately or at gun shows with no background checks. (Adobe Stock)

'Common Sense' Gun Laws at Core of VA Emergency Declaration

RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has declared a state of emergency, banning guns on the State Capitol grounds until Tuesday as militia …

Critics say Amazon's Ring partnerships with police departments can lead to civil rights abuses. (Adobe stock)

Activists Press Lawmakers to Stop Amazon Ring’s Police Alliances

RICHMOND, Va. — Civil rights groups are sounding the alarm about Amazon's Ring doorbell system. Representatives from 30 activist groups …

Many Virginia cities and counties began researching a decade ago to create programs to divert people with mental illnesses from incarceration. (Adobe Stock)

Arlington County Aims to Launch Mental Health Court

ARLINGTON, Va. — Arlington County will hold a meeting this week to get public input on a new program designed to offer those with mental …

Refusal of treatment for serious medical needs is

Hepatitis C Ruling in VA Could Impact Prisons Across Country

RICHMOND, Va. — After being refused the most up-to-date medical care for Hepatitis C while incarcerated at the Buckingham Correctional Center…

Alexei Wood is the only journalist still facing felony charges after being swept up in the arrests of rioters at President Donald Trump's inauguration. (Alexei Wood/Youtube)

Civic Rights, Free Speech at Issue in Photojournalist’s Felony Trial

RICHMOND, Va. – Press groups and photojournalist Alexei Wood say there are troubling implications to Wood's trial on charges of multiple …

Support for the death penalty is at its lowest point since 1972, and prosecutors are increasingly seeking life in prison without the possibility of parole. (CAC/Flickr)

Support for Death Penalty Lowest in 45 Years

RICHMOND, Va. -- The number of Americans who favor the death penalty continues to drop, with a new Gallup poll finding the level of support is at its …

People with criminal records often struggle to find employment once they are out of prison. A new website aims to help. (Pixabay)

Website Aids Job Seekers Who Have Criminal Records

RICHMOND, Va. – It can be hard to find a job, but imagine doing it with a criminal record. An estimated 70 million people have records and …

Opioid addiction is likely to be declared a national crisis. It has already been declared an emergency in Virginia. (Dan Heyman)

Punishment Not the Way to Fight Overdoses, Say Mental Health Experts

RICHMOND, Va. – President Donald Trump is vowing to take a law-and-order approach to combating the nation's worsening opioid epidemic. But …

AG's Sentencing Order a "Step Backwards" in Justice Reform?

RICHMOND, Va. – A directive from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions could shift additional burdens onto Virginia's courts and prisons…

Treating drug addiction as a health issue rather than a crime has a proven track record of success. (Dan Heyman)

Demonstrating for Science-Based Drug Policies

RICHMOND, Va. – Drug policy should be based on facts, not fear. That's one of the messages scientists, academics and their allies will be …

Data from The Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that locking up juvenile offenders when they are not really a threat can change the young person for life. (Richard Ross/AECF)

Program Keeping Juveniles Out of Detention Celebrates VA Success

RICHMOND, Va. – A program to help keep juvenile offenders out of pre-trial detention is showing big results for Virginia. The state and some …

A new study suggests the disproportionate number of African Americans behind bars in Virginia is feeding the state's educational achievement gap. (Prison Policy Initiative)

Report: Reduce Incarceration To Narrow Achievement Gap

RICHMOND, Va. — Widespread incarceration of African Americans during the drug war feeds the achievement gap in U.S. schools, according to a new …

A watchdog group wants the Trump administration to avoid political interference in law enforcement issues. (whitehouse.gov)

Former U.S. Attorneys Press Trump on Law Enforcement Independence

RICHMOND, Va. – There's a call for the White House to release its policy on how it will keep from interfering in law enforcement matters…

The family of Jamycheal Mitchell say they have been gratified to see mental-health reforms move through the legislature this year. (the Mitchell family/Youtube)

Jamycheal Mitchell's Family Cheers Reforms

RICHMOND, Va. -- The state's General Assembly has taken a number of steps to strengthen Virginia's mental health services. And the family of …

As Virginia considers what to do with juvenile prisons, a new study argues they should be emptied and closed. (Richard Ross/Annie E. Casey Foundation)

Report Calls For Ending Youth Prisons

RICHMOND, Va. -- As Virginia considers how to reform juvenile justice, a new national report calls for taking all young offenders out of prisons…

A new report finds young offenders spend longer locked up because of court fines and fees. (Juvenile Law Center)

Virginia Juveniles: Sentenced to Debtors’ Prison?

RICHMOND, Va. - Young people in Virginia's juvenile-justice system often end up jailed longer because of their inability to pay fines and court fees…

As Gov. Terry McAuliffe signs orders restoring voting rights to reformed Virginia felons, many are questioning the law making that necessary. (Michaele White/Governor's Office/Flickr)

Virginia Felon Voting Law Criticized as Outdated, Discriminatory

RICHMOND, Va. – Critics of Virginia's law that makes it hard for reformed felons to vote call it backward and discriminatory. That includes …

According to a new survey, U.S. jails hold ten times more mentally ill individuals than hospitals. Jamycheal Mitchell died in jail after being arrested for stealing five dollars worth of snacks. (Youtube/the Mitchell family)

Survey: Jails Hold Ten Times As Many Mentally Ill As Hospitals

RICHMOND, Va. -- U.S. jails are overrun with mentally ill inmates and are ill-equipped to deal with the problem, according to a recent survey of …

The death of Jamycheal Mitchell is sparking an examination of the number of mentally ill Virginians in jail or coming into conflict with the police. (The Mitchell Family/Youtube)

Mentally Ill Virginians Fill Jails, Risk Dying on Street

RICHMOND, Va. – Many Virginians with mental illness end up in jail, and some are involved in deadly altercations with police. Jamycheal …

Virginia is one of the states that has cut its prison population and also seen a drop in crime rates. (U.S. Bureau of Prisons)

VA Among States to Cut Incarceration and Still See Crime Fall

RICHMOND, Va. – Many states, including Virginia, that have reduced their prison populations are seeing their crime rates go down, too, …

More than a year after he was arrested for stealing $5 worth of snacks, there are no official answers about why or how Jamycheal Mitchell died in jail. (Youtube/Mitchell Family)

A Year Later – What Happened to Jamycheal Mitchell in Jail?

RICHMOND, Va. – Nearly a year later, it's still unclear how a mentally ill Virginia man died in jail after being arrested for stealing $5 worth …

Voting rights activists approve of Gov. Terry McAuliffe restoring voting rights for felons. (Flicker/Governor Terry McAuliffe)

McAuliffe Restoring Voting Rights for Felons Praised by Rights Groups

RICHMOND, Va. – Gov. Terry McAuliffe's restoration of the vote for felons in Virginia goes in the opposite direction of an ugly national trend…

A new report describes what it calls the devastating impact on Virginia children when a parent is incarcerated. (NC DPS)

103,000 Virginia Children Will Have a Parent in Prison

RICHMOND, Va. - About six percent of Virginia children have to grow up with a parent behind bars at some point. According to a new report from the …

A new poll suggests strong support for juvenile-justice reform, including closing juvenile prisons like the two in Virginia. (Richard Ross)

Poll Supports Juvenile Justice Reform

RICHMOND, Va. - A national survey shows strong support for the kinds of juvenile-justice reform backed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe. The governor has …

The number of exonerations continues to rise as more counties dedicate resources to preventing and correcting false convictions. (Peter Szustka/freeimages)<br />

Study: Record Number of Prisoners Exonerated Last Year

RICHMOND, Va. - Across the U.S., nearly 150 prisoners were released last year when their convictions were overturned. That's a record number of …

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VA: Criminal Justice