"VDOC and the Attorney General are supposed to uphold and apply the law as written, but instead, they manufactured their own interpretation of it and hoped no one would notice,” said ACLU of Virginia Senior Supervising Attorney Vishal Agraharkar.

“If Governor Youngkin – or the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association – were serious about public safety, he wouldn’t make it harder for people to come forward when they need help," said ACLU of Virginia Policy Director Chris Kaiser.

"We applaud the legislature for their bipartisan support of independent prison oversight, and encourage Governor Youngkin to sign this important legislation into law,” said ACLU of Virginia's Policy and Advocacy Strategist Shawn Weneta.

The Second Look Lobby Day will begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond and end at the Virginia State Capitol, where impacted people will meet with lawmakers. 

"Potentially hundreds of people who’ve worked for years to earn their release will finally get it, and we’re thrilled that Mr. Puryear is home with his family," said Vishal Agraharkar, ACLU-VA Senior Supervising Attorney.

“Virginia governors have historically restored Virginians’ voting rights – not removed them," said ACLU-VA Executive Director Mary Bauer. “No administration should get to pick and choose who gets to vote, and that includes this one." 

The Supreme Court of Virginia affirmed the VADOC's interpretation of budget language that restricted eligibility for expanded earned sentence credits. Our cases on inchoate offenses remain pending.

Today the ACLU of Virginia filed two new cases challenging the Virginia Department of Corrections’ (VADOC) refusal to award expanded sentence credits to people with certain convictions, unlawfully extending their incarceration. 

The Virginia Department of Elections released its Annual List Maintenance Report last week detailing the cancellation of the voting rights of 17,368 Virginians convicted of a new felony after their voting rights had been restored.