Prison
- Juvenile criteria, age and health: how September's parole cases were decided
The board weighed a new juvenile-offender procedure and geriatric eligibility in September, granting one juvenile case and denying another, and granting seven of 85 cases overall.
- New guidance limits voting disqualifications to murder, manslaughter convictions
Among Virginians who are no longer incarcerated, only those convicted of murder and voluntary or involuntary manslaughter remain disqualified from voting under new guidance from the Virginia Department of Elections.
- Elections Department Limits Felony Voting Bars to Murder and Manslaughter
New guidance follows a federal Readmission Act ruling and arrives days before early voting for the Nov. 3 midterms.
- Judge John Gibney Upholds Ruling That Virginia Cannot Automatically Strip Felons of Voting Rights
On Monday, a federal court reaffirmed a January ruling that found that Virginia’s current practice of disenfranchising all people with felony convictions violates post-Civil War laws that required former Confederate states to guarantee voting rights for newly emancipated Black re
- Old Dominion University Shooter, Convicted of Islamic State Links, Released From Prison Only 2 Years Before Attack
Documents from the court show that less than two years after Mohamed Bailor Jalloh had been released from prison on charges of attempting to help the Islamic State, he opened fire in a class before ROTC students were able to subdue and kill him.
- Judge affirms ruling in favor of former felons in voting rights lawsuit
Despite winning a lawsuit earlier this year that found that certain Virginians with felony convictions should not have lost their voting rights, some Virginians missed their chance to vote in congressional primary elections earlier this month. But a new ruling from U.S. District Court Judge John Gibney means that they will be able to vote […]
- Governor seeks participants for new corrections council to help shape Virginia prison reforms
Angel DeJesus spent much of his adolescence involved with Virginia’s Department of Juvenile Justice and a chunk of his adulthood in Virginia Department of Corrections facilities. He’s now a public speaker and youth mentor, after being pardoned by former Gov. Ralph Northam in January 2022. When he learned that Gov. Abigail Spanberger is assembling a […]
- Independent report calls for campus safety overhaul at Old Dominion University after fatal shooting
An independent firm recommended Old Dominion University improve campus safety, threat assessment, emergency response, communications, and institutional processes in a report released Tuesday, after a fatal campus shooting killed an employee and injured multiple students in May. The report comes as the university prepares to welcome students back to Norfolk on Aug. 24, three months […]
- Campaign to enshrine voting rights in Virginia Constitution kicks off in Norfolk
Portsmouth school board member Quniana Futrell appeared somber behind the podium in Norfolk’s Slover event space as she spoke in support of a proposal to amend Virginia’s constitution to automatically restore voting rights for people who complete felony sentences. She recalled her experience growing up with both of her parents incarcerated and said her mother […]
- Spanberger restores voting rights to more than 60,000 Felons
Gov. Abigail Spanberger has restored voting and other civil rights to more than 60,000 Felons since taking office in January, reversing the more restrictive restoration process adopted by her predecessor and reopening voting access for thousands of people with past felony convictions, her administration said Friday. The 66,085 Virginians whose rights have been restored may […]
- Virginia House Candidate Sheila Bynum-Coleman Sentenced in PPP Loan Fraud Case
A former candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates was sentenced to two years in prison for her role in obtaining and misusing more than $225,000 in federal Paycheck Protection Program loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sentence follows a guilty plea to charges of making false statements on loan applications and failing to file […]
- Virginia Bill Seeks to Raise Penalties for Voluntary Manslaughter Convictions
The Virginia House of Delegates reviewed a piece of legislation during the 2026 regular session designed to alter the penalty for voluntary manslaughter. Known as House Bill 102, or HB102, the measure was introduced to amend and reenact section 18.2-35 of the Code of Virginia, specifically addressing the punishment for this particular criminal offense. As […]
- Virginia Lawmaker Proposes Stronger Penalties for Dangerous Vehicle Eluding Incidents
Virginia Delegate Jason Ballard has introduced legislation in the 2026 session of the House of Delegates to strengthen the penalties associated with felony eluding in specific high-risk scenarios. House Bill 99, titled Felony eluding; mandatory minimum term in correctional facility, seeks to amend Section 46.2-817 of the Code of Virginia to impose a one-year mandatory […]
- Spanberger unveils reformed practices for Va. prisons and council on corrections
A new council convened by Gov. Abigail Spanberger aims to help solve longstanding issues in Virginia’s prisons that residents and correctional officers have expressed concerns about for years. The Governor’s Community Partnership Council On Corrections, which Spanberger announced Tuesday, will bring together representatives from advocacy groups, faith-based organizations, healthcare and public saf
- Virginia Delegate’s Bill to Increase Penalty for Voluntary Manslaughter Fails in House Committee
The 2026 Virginia legislative session featured the introduction of House Bill 102 by Delegate Jason Ballard. This legislation proposed significant changes to the penalty for voluntary manslaughter in the Commonwealth. According to the summary as introduced, the bill aims to increase the penalty for voluntary manslaughter. Currently, this offense is classified as a Class 5 […]
- Fairfax County Public Schools Employee Charged with Embezzling Over $40,000 from Hayfield Secondary School
Fairfax County, VA — A finance technician employed by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been charged with embezzling more than $40,000 from Hayfield Secondary School, according to authorities. The case, which came to light during a routine audit, highlights ongoing concerns about financial oversight in one of the nation’s largest school districts. fox5dc.com Stephanie […]
- Norfolk Police Officers Allege Retaliation After Raising Concerns Over Transgender-Identified Male Recruit in Women’s Locker Room
NORFOLK, Va. — Female officers at the Norfolk Police Department say they faced suspensions and career threats after objecting to a transgender-identified male recruit’s access to women’s locker room facilities, according to detailed accounts provided to Independent Women’s Features (IW Features), the investigative arm of Independent Women’s Forum. The incidents, which reportedly occurred in 2024 [
- DOJ Civil Rights Division Launches Investigation into Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano for Alleged Discrimination in Favor of Illegal Immigrant Defendants
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has initiated a formal federal investigation into the Office of the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney, led by Steve Descano, examining whether its plea bargaining, charging decisions, and sentencing policies discriminate against U.S. citizens by providing preferential treatment to illegal immigrant defendants. The notification was sent to
- Arlington Cocaine bust results in 15-year prison sentence for man
After being caught during an sting operation in Arlington, a man from Philly will spend 15 years in prison.
- Vienna resident and former CIA employee sentenced for sharing top-secret information
Former CIA analyst to spend three years in federal jail after pleading guilty for improperly sharing top-secret national defense information Asif William Rahman (34), of Vienna, , was sentenced to a total sentence of 37 months of imprisonment — down from a maximum sentence of 20 year. According to the Department of Justice, Rahman used […]
- Red Onion State Prison will be investigated by the Department of Corrections
A spokesperson told the House of Delegates Public Safety Committee Monday that an investigation into the conditions at Red Onion State Prison would be given priority once the newly created Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman was fully staffed.