Skip to main content

Legislation To Follow!

By
RIHD - Prison and Ex-Offender Legislation Alert
Earned Second Chance – The focus on education and rehabilitative programs that include the Earned Second Chance legislation and the Volunteerism Tax Deduction as well as a
Focus on arts in the prison educational environment in order to provide tactile learning for those approximately fifty percent of inmates with specific learning disabilities. While we may
Not support the use of discretionary and often arbitrary parole; we do support a person’s ability to reduce their sentence through hard work and positive contributions to their community.

Ban the Box – Starting with legislation focused on removing barriers to ex‐offender employment, including the ‘Ban the Box’ approach, the campaign will promote equal opportunity in employment as well as developing healthy relationships with employers. All persons should have the right to support themselves and their families without remaining forever reliant on government and community handouts.

Restoration of Civil Rights – A focus on a complete and automatic restoration of voting rights upon completion of a term of incarceration. While a ballot resolution could not be put forward this year, we should challenge the right of the government to tax a citizen at any time while he is unable to vote under the law. A government should not be able to tax a citizen who is not permitted a stake in his own destiny.

Opt Out of All Bans on Drug Offenders – This focus will include legislation to finally
opt out of the TANF ban on formerly incarcerated person with drug offenses. In addition, since drug use and addiction is a medical and mental health issue, the campaign should stand against any and all bans that preclude former drug offenders from receiving any type of service, particularly when it has negative effects on their families. An ADA challenge might be made here. Government should not be allowed to punish individuals and their families for medical or mental health conditions.

Protecting Our Children – A multifaceted focus on keeping children in the juvenile system and not permitting unprotected transfers to adult court for a greater focus on restorative justice practices for youth. Also, a focus on mentoring and protecting children from the constant influx of violence needs to be legitimately addressed.  Children should be nurtured, and a government should not treat children as adults until such time as they can determine that they are adequately prepared to be instilled with ALL the rights and responsibilities that come along with adulthood.

Feb. 17:Virginia Immigrant People's Coalition Day of Action
  • If these legislators get their way, this is what our state will look like:
    - Police would be empowered to demand to see immigration papers from any person that they suspect to be an immigrant;
    - Undocumented students would be banned from attending state universities, even if they are VA residents who have been paying taxes here for years;
    - Government issued ID would be required to vote, disenfranchising thousands of poor, elderly and African-American voters;
    - People who don’t speak English well and lose their criminal court cases would be required to pay for their interpreters.
  • Si estos legisladores obtienen lo que están proponiendo, esto sería como nuestro estado luciría:
    - La policía tendría el poder de preguntar por documentos de inmigración si ellos sospechan que una persona es inmigrante.
    - Estudiantes indocumentados no podrían asistir a las universidades del estado, aunque sean residentes de Virginia y hayan pagado sus impuestos por anos.
    - Para poder votar, se requerirá una identificación dada por el gobierno de Virginia, afectando a muchas personas mayores, personas pobres y Afro-Americanos.
    - Personas que no hablen ingles y pierdan su caso en la corte criminal, tendrán que pagar por sus propios intérpretes.

Feb. 4: No War On Iran National Day of Action
12 - 1 pm at the Richmond Federal Courthouse 701 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219


Resolution on Iran Unanimously Adopted at the 2012 session of the Virginia People’s Assembly Richmond, Virginia, January 14, 2012: 
No War, No Sanctions, No Internal Interference in Iran!

Recently, the U.S. government has increased its threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The U.S. has declared Iran to be its enemy and has publicly stated that it will use all means possible, up to and including military attack, to stop the production of nuclear energy in Iran and to change its government.
To this end, the U.S. has:
1 - Used hacking to disrupt nuclear energy facilities in Iran
2 - Conducted covert operations in Iran
3 - Deployed spy drones to Iran
4 - Imposed draconian sanctions and embargo against Iranian oil exports, banking and trade
5 - Deployed U.S. nuclear supercarrier battle groups with destroyers and nuclear submarines to the Persian Gulf
6 - Threatened Iran with military attack
7 – Is about to hold the largest ever joint military exercises with Israel
The U.S. government has carried out these activities to weaken Iran in preparation for a military attack if Iran does not submit to its demands.
The U.S. government lied to the U.S. people to prepare them for an attack on Iraq, which caused the destruction of Iraq, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and the deaths of 4,500 U.S. soldiers and injuries to many thousands more, in addition to more than $800 billion in war expenditures.
It is extremely important that we do everything in our power to stop another U.S. war in the Middle East. To this end, we, the 2012 Virginia People’s Assembly, demand:
No War, No Sanctions, No Internal Interference in Iran!

Co-Proposed by Simin Royanian, Co-Founder, Women for Peace & Justice in Iran; and
Phil Wilayto, Board Member, Campaign Against Sanctions & Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII)