Governor seeks participants for new corrections council to help shape Va. 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 council on corrections, he applied to participate. Public service, DeJesus said, is important to him.

“I have a lot of lived experiences to be able to bring to the table,” he said. 

The Governor’s Community Partnership Council On Corrections was announced in June, with applications open through Sep. 4. 

The 18-person cohort will comprise formerly incarcerated people and their family members, corrections and probation officers, representatives from criminal justice reform organizations and faith-based organizations that work in prisons.

Spanberger unveils reformed practices for Va. prisons and council on corrections

Reentry specialists as well as police chiefs, sheriffs or regional jails representatives may also be selected. 

Spanberger said that her administration looks forward to hearing the council’s perspective on “additional steps we can take to improve safety and transparency within VADOC facilities.” 

Shawn Weneta, a policy strategist and formerly incarcerated person, said  bringing a variety of voices together is “the best way to make meaningful improvements.” He’d also like to join the council to offer insight from someone who has lived behind bars. 

Persistent corrections challenges

In recent years, VADOC facilities have been plagued by under-staffing and frequent lockdowns, and have faced allegations of racism and retaliation that a state watchdog probe didn’t confirm nor rule out. 

By 2024 a handful of inmates at Red Onion State Prison, one of the more embattled facilities, burned themselves in protest of the conditions or to seek transfers. 

While DeJesus spent his time in other facilities, he heard plenty of anecdotes from friends who’d been transferred out of places like Red Onion, Wallens Ridge or River North. 

“I heard a lot of stories about those prisons and the racism there,” he said. “Most of the staff up there know each other, they live around each other, they’re family members, and they’re gonna stick together. It’s always 10 against one.”

When Sen. Mike Jones, D-Richmond, made a surprise visit in late 2024 to Red Onion, he said he saw so many of his constituents there, particularly Black Richmonders, he could have convened a town hall.

A 2023 report from the Prison Policy Initiative found that Black Virginians are incarcerated at a rate four times higher than white Virginians. 

Alleged over-reliance on solitary confinement is another key concern about Virginia’s prisons. 

‘Dangerously understaffed’: Inmates describe fear and violence behind Red Onion’s walls

State law formally refers to the practice of isolating inmates either for disciplinary reasons or for their safety as “restorative housing.” The law also outlines how long it can be utilized and mandates inmates receive some time out of confinement. 

A class action lawsuit has been advancing through courts based on allegations of prolonged use of confinement and violation of the state’s policy that is meant to help people return to general populations within prison. 

Recent reforms

While Spanberger’s administration gathers input on actions the state could take going forward, there have been recent efforts to improve aspects of VADOC for staff and residents. 

Last week, the governor announced a reentry program at Red Onion. Designed for inmates whose sentences are nearing their completion, participants live in the same housing area and focus on workforce readiness, re-entering society and are connected to community resources. 

From January to May of this year, Spanberger said that use of restorative housing had dropped by 20%. 

She added that use of force across all VADOC facilities had dropped by 39%, serious inmate-on-staff assaults had declined by 56% and lockdowns had decreased by 27%. 

Confirmed overdoses dropped 47% while suspected overdoses dipped 12%. Addressing drugs within prison walls is something DeJesus is hopeful more work can be done about. 

Weeks into her role as governor, Spanberger’s Executive Order 12 entailed enhanced training for correctional officers.

VADOC also currently has an addiction recovery program in place for inmates that test positive for fentanyl. 

Inmates respond to changes, advocates look ahead

In an email thread shared with The Mercury and state lawmakers, a group of prison reform advocates recently expressed gratitude to VADOC director Joseph Walters for visiting a facility that has been rife with complaints. 

But according to other emails, the group is still sharing with state official wellness check requests or allegations of medical neglect to inmates. 

The Mercury asked if members of the group plan to apply for the forthcoming corrections council but did not receive a response by the time of this publication. 

DeJesus said the new council is another venue for Virginians impacted by incarceration to relay concerns and propose solutions, this time more directly to the governor. 

“Everybody on the board is gonna have a lot to say,” he said.