For HB1894: HB1894 seeks to address the arguably unconstitutional, and undoubtedly inhumane conditions of Virginia prisons. 7 Virginia prisons currently have no central heating or cooling. In the winter, it gets so cold multiple inmates have needed to go to the hospital for hypothermia. it’s so cold that the water in the toilet freezes over while in the summer, it gets so hot that the walls sweat. This too has led to numerous incarcerated people being hospitalized for heat stroke. Medical complications associated with extreme heat or cold are often associated with expenses in excess of 10,000 dollars per hospitalization, a cost which the state bears the burden of. The fiscal impact of this legislation has been paired back significantly in order to ensure that we can take immediate steps to address the inhumane conditions in Virginia prisons. We urge you to support the legislation. For HB 1958: When it comes to free school meals the question on everyone’s mind is the same, why universal? First, significant numbers of students who are food insecure either do not meet existing eligibility requirements or are eligible and are not enrolled for other reasons including stigma. Not only does free school breakfast bridge these gaps in existing programs, but universally free breakfast is also more cost effective. On average, districts which have universal free school breakfast programs spend 58 cents less per breakfast than they cost in districts with means tested programs. This means that instead of spending money on paperwork, we can spend money on feeding hungry kids. Furthermore, children who experience food insecurity are 31% more likely to be hospitalized for health issues, in the short term costing in excess of $12,000. Cases where children are diagnosed with protein-calorie malnutrition can cost Medicaid as much as $1.25 million a for very young children. One in seven children in Virginia are hungry. We urge you to support this legislation and take one step towards eliminating child hunger in Virginia.

Please vote yes to HB 1894!

Please help restore civility in our state by standing with the rule of law. We don’t feel safe in the last four years especially after the looting, violent riots, and mass destruction in our cities.

I urge your support of HB1894 State correctional facilities; cell conditions; temperature monitoring. Of all weather-related illnesses heat is the most fatal. We've all experienced buildings where the temperature at the thermostat doesn't reflect the temperature in other parts of the building. This is even more true of prisons which for security are built with much less free flow or air. Cruel and unusual punishment is banned in the US. The death penalty is banned in Virginia. Heat in cells can violate both of those bans. Please support HB1894.

My son has been in Buckingham Department of Corrections for 9 years the summers are only getting worse he has health issues he has asthma,he is overweight because of depression and because lack of rec. time.Immune disorder. it is so hot in there in the summer if it's 100 outside it's like 110 on the inside they have little envelope windows on their cells a 7-in fan that they cost $30 to buy. they need air conditioner they need correction of temperatures they need oversight. my son also has an immune disorder which is very bad on his health his white blood count can Skyrocket or it can drop very very low he cannot be in that heat. Ty

I speak for my grandson and all incarcerated people who suffer from inhumane conditions. By being in prison they are being punished for their crimes - deprivation of freedom is a powerful emotion. To struggle to breathe due to chronic health issues is beyond cruel. To be uncomfortable in heat or cold is unpleasant but to be in extreme conditions with no reciurse to relief is unbearable. Some relief can be provided at minimal cost. I beg you to look into your heart and restore humanity to those sffering so. Please. Thank you very much.

As a Virginia constituent and an impacted loved one, I support HB 1894. A common sense bill that is proactive in preventing medical illnesses throughout the year. HB 1894 puts an end to incarcerated individuals being unnecessarily cold in the winter and overheated in the summer.

I support these bills to make our community safer

Excessive temperature variances between below 65 and over 80 degrees expose those incarcerated to insufferable conditions in under ventilated and confined spaces such as their cells. These conditions exacerbate underlying health conditions such as asthma and put unnecessary toll on the medical staff at the facilities. The well-being of humans is of utmost priority, and this is a no brainer. We, and the 3000 members we represent completely support this bill.

My name is Marki Gaines and I'm a member of the Virginia Justice Alliance. I also have a loved one incarcerated in Greensville Correctional Center. During the summer months, the buildings, pods, and cells are extremely hot. During the winter, they are extremely cold. Not only can extreme temperatures cause physical illness, it can also cause mental and emotional anxiety. It is inhumane to have these men and women live in unsafe conditions. Therefore, I am in full support of HB1894.

Please pass these comments sense safety laws. The county desperately needs them.

We need things better

As the loved one of someone incarcerated and an advocate for people behind bars, I have seen firsthand how extreme temperatures in correctional facilities impact the physical and mental health of those confined. My loved one was once held at Augusta Correctional Facility, where there was no air conditioning. The heat was unbearable, especially in solitary confinement, where no fans were allowed. The conditions were so extreme that it exacerbated individuals asthma, causing difficulty breathing and increasing their risk of other health complications. Even now, at his current facility, despite having heat and AC, he is freezing because the temperature control is rigid, only turning on at specific times and time of year. These conditions are not only inhumane but can also lead to illnesses and worsen pre-existing conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and arthritis. It’s unacceptable for people to endure these conditions, which affect their health and well-being. We must ensure that correctional facilities maintain temperatures within a humane range, and that measures are in place to protect individuals from extreme heat or cold. This bill is vital to creating conditions that support health and dignity, and I urge you to support it for the sake of the people in our correctional facilities and their families.