Petition Letter

Dear Governor Northam and State Legislators,

The Virginia Covid-19 Justice Coalition was formed in April 2020 and comprises over 35 organizations. We have spent the past 9 months advocating for the release of people incarcerated during Covid 19 and for better living conditions behind bars during this pandemic.

We have heard many stories from people behind bars and their loved ones about the truly appalling conditions inside these facilities:

People behind bars being saran-wrapped into cells at State Farm;

Floods and fighting at Lawrenceville;

Guards at V.C.B.R retaliating against anyone reporting them for not wearing masks;

People incarcerated within detention facilities throughout VA experiencing unsanitary facilities, unsafe living conditions, brutality, and death.

Recently in VA Beach, 45 people incarcerated and 2 facility staff tested positive for Covid-19.

Richmond City Jail residents, who were exposed to Covid-19, were also tear-gassed, stripped nude and left in solitary, triggering a class action lawsuit.

Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Facility experienced the worst viral outbreak of any youth detention center in the nation.

These are just some examples of the inhumane treatment of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable people. As Governor, you, along with Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Brian Moran, The Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections, Harold Clarke, local Sheriffs and Commonwealth Attorneys have the power to release people incarcerated, release them soon, and hold yourselves accountable to share information daily with the public.

Localities all around the nation are making these demands, and winning!

On December 10th, 2020, The Virginia COVID-19 Justice Coalition, along with the Virginia Redemption Project sent a letter to Governor Northam requesting the following:

1. That you and Secretary Brian Moran meet with members of the Virginia COVID-19 Justice Coalition Steering Committee and the Virginia Redemption Project to discuss what more can be done to help people behind bars during this crisis. At such a meeting, we would specifically address the submission process and post-submission review of conditional pardon petitions.

2. That you release the number of conditional pardon petitions that your office has received, the number that have been reviewed, and the number that have been granted during this crisis and ensure that at least 1,000 petitioners are released by March 31, 2021.

3. That you and Secretary Moran join us for a Virtual Town Hall panel discussion on December 16, 2020 to hear directly from people behind bars and their families and share information with the public. (Please note, as we received no response before December 16th, we have extended this invitation forward to all of our monthly Virtual Town Halls throughout 2021.)

4. That your office publicly support and ensure passage of the 2021 Public Health Release bill drafted by the Virginia COVID-19 Justice Coalition and sponsored by Delegate Kaye Kory.

In addition, we ask that all State Legislators help amplify these requests to the Governor and also use your privileged position to visit at least one of our Commonwealth’s many detention facilities to inspect the conditions as they relate to Covid-19 safety for people behind bars. That includes, Immigration Customs and Enforcement (I.C.E) detention facilitates, Women's prisons, Youth prisons, local and regional jails, Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation (V.C.B.R) run Shadow Prisons, and Federal prisons.

Official visits are one way to encourage transparency and see firsthand what is happening inside these facilities. We encourage you to go unannounced and talk, not only to staff and officers, but especially to the people housed within these facilities to understand what is happening on a daily basis.

There are thousands of Virginians with loved ones locked away in unsafe and potentially deadly conditions during this viral pandemic. We are counting on you, Governor Northam and all our elected representatives, to not only listen to the experts and advocates but also to the families and especially people behind bars themselves and to use your power to make an official visit.

By signing below, each organization and individual listed supports the above requests, and your name or organization's name will be added to the names of supporters below. Please sign on and join us!

Signed,

VA COVID-19 Justice Coalition Member Organizations

ACLU of Virginia

Justice Forward Virginia

Progress Virginia

Legal Aid Justice Center

Southerners on New Ground (SONG)

The Humanization Project

Virginia Justice Democrats

ACLU People Power Fairfax

League of Women Voters, Justice Reform

Committee, Charlottesville

RIHD

Virginia Poverty Law Center

Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

RISE for Youth

House of Dreams

Inmate Support Virginia

Interfaith Action for Human Rights

Restore Justice in Virginia

Bridging the Gap in Virginia

The Virginia Coalition for the Fair

Sentencing of Youth

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

League of Women Voters, Virginia

Coalition for Justice

Virginia Prison Justice Network

The Activated People

Just Future Project

People’s Coalition

Richmond Community Bail Fund

Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice, and Equality

Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists

Virginia Student Power Network

The Ram Law Firm

Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy

Voices of Jubilee, PCUSA

Charlottesville NOW

New Virginia Majority

Virginia Organizing

NAACP Loudoun

Virginia Prisoner of Conscience

Lending Hands

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