Incarcerated people and their loved ones will continue to pay fees that advocates and some lawmakers say are too stiff. Senate Bill 581, introduced by Sen. Joseph Morrissey, D-Richmond, initially proposed to eliminate jail fees related to the costs of an inmate's...
Virginia Bill Again Seeks To Limit Solitary Confinement
A bill that seeks to limit the use of isolated — or solitary — confinement in Virginia’s correctional facilities now faces the Republican-controlled House, who voted down a similar measure earlier in the session. Sen. Joseph Morrissey, D-Richmond, proposed Senate Bill...
Prisoners Criticize VADOC Vaccine Rollout, Coronavirus Response
Inmates in Virginia correctional centers have been approved to receive COVID vaccines, but a disorganized rollout has led to confusion and a lack of information about when vaccines will actually be coming. Jillian Floyd hasn’t seen her son in a year. She is one of...
Amended Bill to Limit Solitary Confinement Heads to Senate Floor
David Smith remembers dancing to music in his head and having conversations with television shows during 16 months in solitary confinement at Norfolk City Jail. “Your mind plays tricks on you,” Smith said. “There was a slow disconnect with reality. I didn’t...
In Local and Regional Jails, a Patchwork Response to COVID-19
State and local efforts to keep COVID out of jails have been hobbled by poor oversight and unambitious policy, advocates say. At the time the Governor announced his early release plan, Letiesha Gordon’s son, Dayon Jones, was serving the final months of a non-violent...
SUBSCRIBE TO THE RVAMAG NEWSLETTER