I am the victim of a violent crime my husband was killed last July. I am not scared of this bill because it’s not a blanket bill it allows each person to stand on their own work their own change. I had to trust the courts to get a conviction and we did, I can trust the court to look at individuals behavior and decide if they can get a modified sentence. It’s not a get out of jail free card, my trauma will never go away, but I’m not living my life in fear because I know the person that committed the crime will not change. I have a lived one who’s incarcerated and was sentenced above his guideline he didn’t kill anyone yet he’s served 29 years he didn’t molested anyone yet he has another 6 years. He’s been charge free and held a job almost the entire 19 yrs. He has changed he does deserve a second look. I support this bill , me a victim and an advocate of Justice.

My son is being held at Sussex state Prison serving a six year sentence. He’s been there 60 days after being transferred from Greensville Correctional Center and has had to fight for his life 9 times and yesterday was almost stabbed by two inmates for his food and tv. He is now is isolation and I’m thankful but he’s being punished in a sense being in there. I realize there’s was no other option but here the truth my son is white, he’s not a gang member he’s an outcast in a place where he’s outnumbered and has to fight to stay alive it’s outrageous! He does the right thing doesn’t join hangs doesn’t start trouble just tried to hold his own and it constantly tested and threatened! He had an abscess tooth that’s he’s been suffering by with over 65 days now they have told me it would be extracted over a month ago and now tell me 8 people are in front of him. My son has 14 months left and 95% of the inmates there have 20+ year to life sentences they are jealous that my son is about to be released! I want to try to have my sons sentence looked at again for one thing he was given entirely too kick time for a robbery charge where no gun was involved yet he was charged with one and it wasn’t even a robbery it was a marijuana deal gone wrong. My son is 25 years old and I’m pleading for him to be sent somewhere safer than where he hasn’t a chance he doesn’t need to be where inmates have life sentences and nothing to lose: he’s in isolation has no toilet paper, no tooth brush no toothpaste it’s inhumane! Thank you and I’ll await a a response, your prompt reply would be appreciated as I continue to pray for my son’s safety. Regards, Cathy L Williams

My little brother has been incarcerated for about 5 years, he is now 25 years old. Currently he is begging for toilet paper in solitary confinement because he was held at knifepoint 2 days ago and robbed for all of his property including his food and Television. He said “These inmates don’t have anything to lose because they are all in gangs or have life in prison so they don’t care if they stab and kill me but I don’t want to have to defend myself and hurt someone and get more time or die because I just want to get home to my family.” He is not in a gang, so he gets bullied constantly. He is now being punished for doing the right thing and not fighting back when he got jumped. He told a CO that he feared for his life and is now being held in solitary confinement indefinitely with one bedsheet and nothing else, he has been asking for toilet paper for 2 days to not avail. My baby brother made a mistake when he was so young (18 years old robbery) and pleads for forgiveness and to be treated humanely every time I speak with him. He says he is breaking and does not think he can do this anymore. He wants to have a normal life and tells me how sick he is of having to defend himself daily and the inhumane conditions he has to survive through on each phone call. He currently has a rotting tooth and we have called and called and begged them to extract it, even though he knows the procedure will hurt so badly with only tylenol to take (if lucky) for the pain. That is, if they actually pull the tooth, he has been on the waitlist for months and now has been rescheduled twice when called down to dental and once was made to watch another inmate get the same procedure don’t while crying out in pain to “please stop you’re hurting me I think you’ve hit a nerve” when they were pulling his tooth. I have only seen my little brother 3 times in 3 years because somehow they keep cancelling my visitation status, deleting me off of his visitation list, or putting him in solitary confinement which disables visitation. I try to do video visits, but they never will bring him to the video visit room even when he pleads with CO’s to do so, or if he is brought to the visit, the software does not work. He has begged to be in a drug diversion program, they say he cannot because he doesn’t have drugs in his system nor does he have a drug charge- to which he pleaded “Isn’t it enough to tell you that i like to get high to be in the program?” He has tried applying for many programs including trade and work programs for over 5 years to no avail. My little brother is currently starving, suffering, and scared for his life in Sussex 2 State Prison. I beg that you will give him a second chance. He is in a super max facility and does not deserve this- he is also so young, small, and terrified. He just wants a chance at normal life, this institutionalization has taken it’s toll on him and he feels like giving up. His 20’s were taken from him because of a decision he made when he was still a teenager. He has more than learned his lesson and begs to be a part of society again. Please, I implore you, to give us a second chance for my little brother’s life.

I support sb842. I work in the community as a Harm Reduction worker. I am a returning member of society. This bill will start a model of good behavior for all vdoc Lifers to begin to model! I do believe you are making a mistake with the homicide charge being excluded. They run your prisons leadership, If you want to emulate changed behaviors, than you get 5 years of good in house behavior as a criteria prior to going to a reconsideration! In my opinion! Thank you for your support in this bill!

I say pass the bill and use my tax dollars for other things the state needs. I keep seeing the how this bill is being compared to the bill that was passed back in 2021 in D.C. Both are in fact different pieces of legislation and commentators here should be ashamed trying to scare the pubic into thinking massive load of inmates will be released to flood and pillage the street of Virginia. It is NOT so. Many of these men and women have complete programs to allow them skills they need to be successful upon release. Why continue drain tax dollars from suffering middle class workers here in the state when all I hear is the problems with the budget? There is not enough money for officers or to pay for health care for aging inmates. Yet you would rather keep able body inmate detained at tax payers expense. In addition to the fact that Virginia has one of lowest recidivism rates in the country. These men and women are not being released from prison only given the opportunity to go before a judge to be accessed to see if they are no longer threat to the community.

I OPPOSE SB842! It will make victims relive the crime all over again. As Debbie Smith of H-E-A-R-T, Inc. recounts in another of the public comments to this bill, "I cannot tell you how I felt when I found out that he was in fact up for parole. In that moment I could feel his hands around my throat, I could smell his breath and hear his words in my ears all over again. Being abducted from my home and raped was happening all over again!" It will rub salt in the wounds of people who have lost loved ones to killers who can now try to get released from prison under this bill. As Mrs. Johnson recounts in another of the public comments to this bill, their pain never goes away. The poll results cited in another of the public comments support that comment's observation that "Second look legislation such as SB 842 is unpopular" and that SB842 is wrong to let many killers and all rapists try to get out of prison after 15 years -- even serial rapists. The public comment of Williams is right that this bill will increase the crime rate, and "Some of those released will go on to harm innocent people. "

Hi my name is Ebony Stubbs and I’m speaking on behalf of my boyfriend Michael Moore Jr who was given a life sentence plus 123 due to aggravated malicious wounding, two counts of abduction, five counts of a use of a firearm and two counts of robbery. That in itself is unjustly due to the judge over sentence him as a juvenile. He was from a broken home. Lost the only person who took care of him at 14. His mother or father was not in the picture. He was passed from family member to family member and one night he made the wrong decision that cost him his life and everything after at the age of 17. The time he has served he has been able to obtain classes for trades, anger management, and working on trying to obtain his GED. However, it’s not easy to obtain classes when you have a life sentence over your head. This bill will allow him to go back to the courts to show he has changed. To show the courts and system that he is remorseful and responsible for the bad behavior and decisions he has made. He has taken his youth for granted and praying that he will see the other side of the walls as the man he is today. The man that helps my children with homework over the phone, the man who since been incarcerated has always held down a job when he was able to. The man who prays with his family and always wants to give everyone a second chance to see that people make mistakes. Michael is an avid reader, great motivational speaker and loves to draw. His artwork has so much love, potential and passion in it. Please vote yes to proceed with giving Michael a chance in court to show that his a boy that is now a changes man. To give others that was sentenced unjustly a fair chance. Thank you for your time.

I beg you to support the second look bill. My son has been incarcerated since 17 years old. He is now 42. I’ve watched him grow up behind bars he got his GED is in college has held a job steadily in the for Pennie’s and has had no major write ups at all during his 25 years of incarceration. Not only him, but several others deserve another chance. I am sure that when you as a child, you made decisions that you wish you didn’t, but you grew from them and you learn from them please I beg you to support the second look build to give my son a chance to prove to the courts that he is a changed person and that one day he will be able to meet his nieces and nephews that he has never met. People do change people grow up, and people are remorseful. As long as they have shown change they should be allowed to go back in the court.

Dear House Delegate: I am writing to you from Spain as a Spanish citizen although my husband is from Virginia, where his parents reside. Excuse me for possible grammatical errors or the way I express myself in this letter, since my English is not as good as I would like. The reason why I am writing to you is because I have been following the 2023 General Assembly from the beginning and have been hopeful of the positive progress of some bills that I am interested in enacting, specifically SB842. I have mixed feelings when I see how difficult it is being to pass a bill like this that has been introduced in previous years. Mixed feelings because I have always believed that the United States is a strong, powerful country, a country of second chances where thousands of British and Europeans and, years later, the rest of the world, found their new home there and a second chance to live with dignity. Since then, the message that comes from the United States to the world has always been the same: the United States is a country of great progress and initiatives where second chances are still possible today, but nevertheless, in the case of its prisoners,not yet. At this point it is not being exercised as such a so identifiable value of the country. A man,my husband, has spent almost twenty-five years in prison, a quarter of a century, for a crime of conspiracy to rob a bank to which he pleaded not guilty and after various irregularities in his legal proceedings riddled with errors, he collapsed and escaped from custody for less than half an hour and for which he was sentenced in total to more than 80 years. A life sentence! I have seen how murderers, rapists or pedophiles go free with even lesser sentences. My husband is a man of almost 55 years. He has been an exemplary prisoner who meets all the rules. If you gave him a second chance, there wouldn't even be victims suffering or against his release. It is time for him to feel the second chance that his country offers him. It is time to vote yes on bill SN842.I am begging you for your support of bill SB842. Thank you very much for taking your time to read my letter. Sincerely, Leonor Shortal

My name is Debbie Smith and as a victim of sexual assault who went through the court system and did all that was asked of me to receive justice, I cannot state strongly enough how opposed I am to Senate Bill 842. I had to expose my shame publicly to prove my innocence and to establish his guilt. After two and a half years of court proceedings I walked out of court feeling victorious. My assailant received two life sentences plus twenty-five years, supposedly without parole. I cannot tell you how I felt when I found out that he was in fact up for parole. In that moment I could feel his hands around my throat, I could smell his breath and hear his words in my ears all over again. Being abducted from my home and raped was happening all over again! My justice system had failed me again. His decision to rape me on March 3, 1989 changed my life forever. It took a total of nine and a half years of fighting for justice only to find that I now have to fight again. How long do victims have to fight for THEIR rights! I have to live a sentence of a lifetime with the effects of this crime, so there is no real justice to found in a crime such as sexual assault or murder. Now it would seem that the state of Virginia would like to remove the smallest hint of that could be found. Where is this illusive justice when the victim's sentence is longer than the perpetrator's? It would seem that even when victims do all that is asked of us receive justice we still cannot depend on our justice system to be true to its word. At the age of 67 years and having lived with this rape as a part of my life for over 43 years, if this bill is passed, I know my only true peace will be found in death, for only then will I stop fighting for victims. This bill is gambling with the lives of others. Debbie Smith 2124 Benomi Dr. Williamsburg, VA 23185 757-220-6759

I support SB842 our 16 year old son was shot and killed last year and although I absolutely believe the person who shot him needs to serve time for being so reckless and taking a life. I will say that if that person served a good amount of time, changed his life around, showed remorse and was doing everything he was supposed to be doing then I would be okay with his case being looked at for a second chance to come home and be a better person. People make bad choice but many also change for the better and deserve that second chance. I have not forgiven the person who took our only child from us but I do hope to be able to forgive him one day. Many of these men and women have served decades in prison and deserve this chance to show society they are deserving of a second chance.

I am a registered Virginia voter and a member of the Valley Justice Coalition. We strongly support SB842 The Second Look Bill. Everyone deserves a Second Chance. Everyone deserves a Second Look. Vote YES for SB 842 Petition for Modification of Sentence; Second Look Bill. More transparency than parole, more accountability than a pardon; how will you vote to give a deserving person a Second Chance? Thank you.

I strongly hope you would support SB842. This Second Look Bill would give my husband the opportunity to have his case looked at again after being incarcerated already 30 years of a single life sentence. He was incarcerated under the old law which has given him an opportunity to petition for parole for the past 10 years. He went in at the young age of 24 and is now 55. He has matured remarkably over the years and has learned how to remain level headed and think through all situations. SB842 would give him the opportunity to go before the courts again and have his case looked at again because his juvenile record was factored into his sentence as an adult felon. He doesn't want a "get out of jail free" card he just wants another look at his sentence. He's worked his way down to as low of a security level that he can obtain with his charges, he's completed all programs necessary, and has been a lead man on his job with a minimum of 10 guys working under him for the past 12 years, and infraction free for the last 20 years. He's changed for the better despite his long bid and the trials and tribulations along the way. He's now a husband of 2 years, and stepfather to 3 who all want him home soon! Please vote YES for SB842.

Hello, my name is Linda Tyson and I am asking, no pleading for you to strongly support the Second Look Bill. My nephew is currently being held in Green Rock DOC. He was coerced into a guilty plea after being threatened with life in prison when there was absolutely no evidence any crime was committed. I ask that you please support and pass the Second Look. There are those spending many years of their lives behind bars after wrongful convictions and I feel if my nephew would have had a paid attorney rather than a court appointed attorney he would not be spending 17 years behind bars for something he didn’t do. Thank you kindly for taking the time to read request. Linda Tyson

Hello my name is Tonya my fiancé is in prison with a 38 year sentence he has done 17 years with a lot more to go on a charge he got when he was just 21 he has been charge free for almost 8 years he has grown to know wrong from rite he has done classes and got his GED since been in please give us hope and say yes to the second look bill and help bring my fiancè home So he can be in his kids life’s and watch his grandbabys grow up Sincerely, a praying fiancé

As a lifelong Virginia resident, who now lives out of state, I keep track of what is happening in Virginia. I feel this bill is essential because actual rehabilitation should be more of a priority versus focusing on mass incarcerations for extended periods of time. I believe that inmates being able to meet certain criteria in order to earn more time off of their sentence will be a great motivator for them and will minimize bad behavior while incarcerated. This will then create a safer work environment for the prison staff. Please vote yes for this bill. Thank you.

I SUPPORT SB842! It needs to be amended so that ALL get a Second Chance. You should not exclude one crime and allow another. That is not considered a second chance. Virginia NEEDS a second chance. It's time to let the rehabilitated come home to their loved ones. Lots of men and women have been locked up 20 plus years with 20 plus to go, they are not the same person they once were. Please remove murder and revise the bill so that all can have a second chance.

I support Second Chance. My father has been incarcerated for 25 years he has totally turned his life around. He deserves to be able to come out and provide for his family and see his mom before she passes away. Since being incarcerated he has gotten several certificates as well as he is currently going to college. People change and people that have served 15+ years and has done everything possible to prove themselves deserve the chance to be heard . I know from experience I have definitely grown and learned from the things I did only 5 years ago please support this bill I beg you

Please support the Second Look Bill! People that have served over 15 years deserve a second look. You are not the same person you were 15 years ago. If they have shown that they are remorseful then they deserve a second chance to live a productive life. I personally know I am not the same as I was 15 or even 20 years ago.

The Virginia NAACP supports this bill. It will go a long way to reconsider aggressive sentencing practices of the past.

I strongly hope you would support SB842. This Second Look Bill would give my husband the opportunity to have his case looked at again after being incarcerated already 22 years with 7 remaining. He went in at the young immature age of 18 and is now 40. This would give him the opportunity to go before the courts again and have what he has as double staked charges both given 3 years each a chance for them to see fit to have them ran concurrent. He doesn't want a "get out of jail free" card he just wants another look at his sentence. He's worked his way down to a lower security level, he's completed all programs necessary, enlisted in a trade, infraction free for the last 5 years. He's changed for the better despite his long bid and the trials and tribulations along the way. He's now a husband of 7 years, a father to a son enlisted in the army and stepfather to 4 who all want him home sooner! Please vote YES for SB842.

Please vote against SB 842, which would harm crime victims and endanger public safety. SB 842 is a bad idea, for the reasons given by commenter Williams below. Second look legislation such as SB 842 is unpopular. 80% of the people who took a poll about the 2022 version of SB 842 (SB 378), opposed it, as you can see from looking at the "poll results" on the upper right corner of the web page found at this link: https://www.richmondsunlight.com/bill/2022/sb378/ . SB 842 will compound the trauma experienced by crime victims such as Ms. Johnson, whose son was murdered -- see her comment opposing this bill below. If you do decide for some reason to pass SB 842 anyway, please at least amend it to exclude criminals who have committed second or successive rapes; or who have committed murders of any kind (including all second degree murders).

A lot A lot of people have changed their lives for the good not the bad but is it by not approving this you're not in giving them a change And that's unfair and unjust especially if they have changed themselves for the better they have lots of input to help Their communities And others around them. It's time to give them a fair shot that's all they're asking for so please Consider the fact of If it was your son daughter cousin father mother and they have changed their lives and all they want To show improve Just Think about it

I would greatly appreciate if this bill would be considered. My brother has been incarcerated since 1996 and has done everything right but does not fall under any of the requirements to earn a early release. He has advanced medical issues that are going untreated and this bill would at least give him a chance. Thank you for your support and consideration.

I, Mrs. Simms support SB842. The reasoning is that my husband has been serving his 22yrs out of 35yr sentence with the VADOC. He has achieved is G.E.D, successfully and completed four certifications with two additional certifications completed on 2/10/2023. He has held two jobs at one facility and is currently working as a custodian at Greensville Correctional Center. If this bill would pass, this will serve great lengths to my husband and other incarcerated men and women who is serving their time with VADOC.

I am in full support of this bill and ask that you do the same. This bill would allow men & women who have embraced their rehabilitation to petition the court to CONSIDER amending their long sentences. It is not a guarantee, it is an opportunity for those who have served a large portion of their sentence to seek a chance at joining society again sooner than they expected. Those who serve the most time are the least likely to reoffend. We need to allow the chance for these men & women to repay some of their debt to society, IN society!

Travis Dion Newby murdered 12/19/2012 I am his mother and today I am speaking against Bill 842 . I am asking you to please not allow my beloved son's killer to get off with any less time than he was sentenced , 35 years is not nearly enough time for what he stole from my family . My grand children had to grow up without their loving father ,one never even had the opportunity to meet his Dad . As a mother I have grieved my boy for these last ten years , there is not a single day that goes by that my heart is not broken .I have forgiven the young man that broke into his home and murdered him and pray that he has made peace with his Savior but I feel he still needs to pay for the pain he has caused my family. Thank you for your consideration.

Comments Document

The document is sent in support of SB 842. While brief, it provides insights, information, and anecdotes. It is intended to give a positive outlook on the INTENTION of the bill which is to give a "Second Chance" to those that have been incarcerated for 15+ years and have succeeded in the mission of the DOC which is to be rehabilitated.

Individuals who are under 18.2-30 should not be excluded from this bill.

Kill this bill. It shows more concern for criminals than their victims. It will undermine truth-in-sentencing and will traumatize victims all over again. This bill will result in the release of inmates who have committed very serious crimes, such as killing other people or the most serious sex crimes. Some of those released will go on to harm innocent people. Washington, DC has a version of this second look legislation, and media reports say some of those released have already been arrested for committing yet more crimes. DC’s recently-enacted second look law already "has led to 135 defendants being released early, of whom 28 have been rearrested," reports the Daily Caller. They have been rearrested even though a large fraction of them were released in 2022, very recently, and criminals often take longer than a year to go back to committing crimes. This bill, if adopted, might lead to a much higher rate of recidivism than what occurred in DC, because it has no age limit for released inmates. DC's law only let inmates who committed their crimes below age 25 seek release. This bill lets inmates seek release regardless of what age they committed their crimes at, and regardless of how mature and set in their ways they were when they committed their crime -- unlike DC's law, which applied only to youthful offenders who might be more likely to be rehabilitated while in prison. Courts are likely to view this law as a green light to release even criminals who committed very serious crimes, such as second-degree murder, rape, and child molestation. In Washington, DC, most criminals who petitioned for release under its version of this bill were released, even though they had typically committed murder. The principal beneficiaries of "second look" legislation like this are murderers, with almost all of the remainder of the beneficiaries being people who committed other awful crimes, such as rape. Washington, DC has a small prison population compared to Virginia, because it has just a tiny fraction of Virginia's population, and its second-look law only applied to youthful offenders, yet the Washington Post reported earlier this year, that under it, "judges have ordered the release of 135 people under the law….Twenty-nine requests were denied....Of those released, the majority had been convicted of murder." Based on Virginia's greater population and the greater fraction of its inmates subject to this bill, this bill could lead to the release of over 1,000 violent criminals. Originally, 4685 inmates were expected to be covered by this bill, according to the Fiscal Impact statement, although that number would be reduced somewhat by the amendments to the bill. Just because an inmate has been in prison for 15 years or is no longer in his 20's does not mean he is no longer dangerous. Crime rates do diminish somewhat as inmates age, but recidivism remains a real risk even at higher ages. A report last February by the U.S. Sentencing Commission found that that violent offenders in general returned to crime at a 63.8% rate (despite many of them being way beyond their 20's), and that even among offenders over age 60, 25.1% of violent offenders were rearrested. If large numbers of inmates are released, that will make it seem less costly to would-be offenders to commit a crime in Virginia, and will increase the general crime rate. A study of California's Proposition 8 found that longer sentences deter criminals from committing more crimes.

A Second Look should not exclude a crime of your choice “Murder”. What makes rape or the rape of a child, home invasion, kidnapping more acceptable of a second chance than murder? Victims of rape will suffer psychological trauma the rest of their life. Second Look should release decision-making based only on considerations after incarceration, such as program completion, disciplinary record, and an individual’s preparation to safely return to the community. Locking an individual up at the age of 18-25 and keeping them incarcerated after 20-25 years is cruel and unjust. That person they were at 18-25 no longer exists. Virginia locks up individuals and takes their rights to be a human away. No data or evidence shows that keeping an individual locked 40 plus years serves any purpose other than making “the person with the power to do so” feel good at that moment. Amend the bill for the men and women who have been sentenced to 50 plus years, shown model behavior, rehabilitation and proved they are ready to contribute back to society. The only exclusion there should be, are offenders that show they are still a public safety threat to the community. Make modifications to the bill that are reasonable for a second chance to all! - Served 15 years; or - 25 years or younger – served 15 years - 26 years older – served 20 years - Of uniform good behavior the last 5 years – excluding violent offenses or violent offense against staff since incarceration. - No release of a serial killer - No release of habitual rapist - No release of acts of terrorism Keeping men and women behind bars for harsh long sentences has not stopped crimes from being committed. It will never stop crimes from being committed. It will only continue to mass incarcerate the prison system. Out of the 30,000 plus incarcerated only 2,500 would qualify. Victims of crimes committed in Virginia support the second look bill, because everyone deserves forgiveness and a second chance. Sincerely, Diane PREJUDICE- to exclude murder 3. Has not been convicted of aggravated murder in violation of §18.2-31 or first degree murder under Article 1 (§18.2-30 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2 or had a second or subsequent conviction of second degree murder under Article 1 (§18.2-30 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2 “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.” -PROVERBS

Hello, my name is Linda Tyson and I am asking, no pleading for you to strongly support the Second Look Bill. My nephew is currently being held in Green Rock DOC. He was coerced into a guilty plea after being threatened with life in prison when there was absolutely no evidence any crime was committed. I ask that you please support and pass the Second Look. There are those spending many years of their lives behind bars after wrongful convictions and I feel if my nephew would have had a paid attorney rather than a court appointed attorney he would not be spending 17 years behind bars for something he didn’t do. Thank you kindly for taking the time to read request. Linda Tyson

Hello my name is Tonya my fiancé is in prison with a 38 year sentence he has done 17 years with a lot more to go on a charge he got when he was just 21 he has been charge free for almost 8 years he has grown to know wrong from rite he has done classes and got his GED since been in please give us hope and say yes to the second look bill and help bring my fiancè home So he can be in his kids life’s and watch his grandbabys grow up Sincerely, a praying fiancé

Hello, my name is Linda Tyson and I am asking, no pleading for you to strongly support the Second Look Bill. My nephew is currently being held in Green Rock DOC. He was coerced into a guilty plea after being threatened with life in prison when there was absolutely no evidence any crime was committed. I ask that you please support and pass the Second Look. There are those spending many years of their lives behind bars after wrongful convictions and I feel if my nephew would have had a paid attorney rather than a court appointed attorney he would not be spending 17 years behind bars for something he didn’t do. Thank you kindly for taking the time to read request. Linda Tyson

Hello my name is Tonya my fiancé is in prison with a 38 year sentence he has done 17 years with a lot more to go on a charge he got when he was just 21 he has been charge free for almost 8 years he has grown to know wrong from rite he has done classes and got his GED since been in please give us hope and say yes to the second look bill and help bring my fiancè home So he can be in his kids life’s and watch his grandbabys grow up Sincerely, a praying fiancé

Hello, my name is Linda Tyson and I am asking, no pleading for you to strongly support the Second Look Bill. My nephew is currently being held in Green Rock DOC. He was coerced into a guilty plea after being threatened with life in prison when there was absolutely no evidence any crime was committed. I ask that you please support and pass the Second Look. There are those spending many years of their lives behind bars after wrongful convictions and I feel if my nephew would have had a paid attorney rather than a court appointed attorney he would not be spending 17 years behind bars for something he didn’t do. Thank you kindly for taking the time to read request. Linda Tyson

Hello my name is Tonya my fiancé is in prison with a 38 year sentence he has done 17 years with a lot more to go on a charge he got when he was just 21 he has been charge free for almost 8 years he has grown to know wrong from rite he has done classes and got his GED since been in please give us hope and say yes to the second look bill and help bring my fiancè home So he can be in his kids life’s and watch his grandbabys grow up Sincerely, a praying fiancé

This bill simply provides that trial Judges and Chief Circuit Court Judges give reasons in writing when thereby decide to reduce a court-appointed lawyer's request for waiver payments. Since Judges no doubt develop specific reasons before deciding to reduce fee claims, this bill merely requires that they put those reasons in writing and provide acopy to counsel.

Hello, my name is Linda Tyson and I am asking, no pleading for you to strongly support the Second Look Bill. My nephew is currently being held in Green Rock DOC. He was coerced into a guilty plea after being threatened with life in prison when there was absolutely no evidence any crime was committed. I ask that you please support and pass the Second Look. There are those spending many years of their lives behind bars after wrongful convictions and I feel if my nephew would have had a paid attorney rather than a court appointed attorney he would not be spending 17 years behind bars for something he didn’t do. Thank you kindly for taking the time to read request. Linda Tyson

Hello my name is Tonya my fiancé is in prison with a 38 year sentence he has done 17 years with a lot more to go on a charge he got when he was just 21 he has been charge free for almost 8 years he has grown to know wrong from rite he has done classes and got his GED since been in please give us hope and say yes to the second look bill and help bring my fiancè home So he can be in his kids life’s and watch his grandbabys grow up Sincerely, a praying fiancé

Hello, my name is Linda Tyson and I am asking, no pleading for you to strongly support the Second Look Bill. My nephew is currently being held in Green Rock DOC. He was coerced into a guilty plea after being threatened with life in prison when there was absolutely no evidence any crime was committed. I ask that you please support and pass the Second Look. There are those spending many years of their lives behind bars after wrongful convictions and I feel if my nephew would have had a paid attorney rather than a court appointed attorney he would not be spending 17 years behind bars for something he didn’t do. Thank you kindly for taking the time to read request. Linda Tyson

Hello my name is Tonya my fiancé is in prison with a 38 year sentence he has done 17 years with a lot more to go on a charge he got when he was just 21 he has been charge free for almost 8 years he has grown to know wrong from rite he has done classes and got his GED since been in please give us hope and say yes to the second look bill and help bring my fiancè home So he can be in his kids life’s and watch his grandbabys grow up Sincerely, a praying fiancé

Comments Document

Most Concise --- Better format. This is a smart bill. I request you insert the following and it'll be even better. Courts say this statute needs an "at liberty clause" from GA to remove "ambiguity and absurd result” for “two or more offenses” = Repeat Offender , The "at liberty clause" found verbatim from 9.1-902 ...Tier III... #2. & #3. § 9.1-910. Removal of name and information from Registry. A. Any person required to register, other than a person who has been convicted of any (i) Tier III offense, (ii) two or more offenses for which registration is required, --BEGIN INSERT ->>> provided that such person had been at liberty between such convictions or adjudications <--END INSERT -- --(iii) a violation of former § 18.2-67.2:1, or (iv) murder, may either submit... See attachment for suggested wording to consider.

Comments Document

Dear Honorable Delegates Please redress a crucial NEED that was addressed with SB492 in 2020 where it passed the Senate. In the House it Passed but a substitute removed the part that the courts says needs clarity. Repeat offenders and Tier III are dis-qualified from petitioning for name removal. All Tier I and II can petition when eligible. Item (ii) in 9.1-910 needs the “at liberty” clause verbatim from 9.1-902. Simply insert in line 12 see down 5 lines § 9.1-910. Removal of name and information from Registry. A. Any person required to register, other than a person who has been convicted of any (i) Tier III LINE 12 : offense, (ii) two or more offenses for which registration is required, provided that person had been at liberty between such convictions or adjudications (iii) a violation of former § 18.2- 67.2:1, To further consider improving the language of 9.1-910 see attachments: better and BEST. In my opinion. I appreciate your consideration in bringing this injustice to an end for 5,000 non-violent sex offenders that have done their time, complied 100% with the VSP re-registration process, paid restitution, NOT re-offended, etc. NOTE: This does NOT change the law but adds clarity as asked by the courts, Chief Judge and yes …. even some prosecutors. PLEASE ask anything is you do NOT 100% see the long due need for action. This deserves bi-partisan support. NO change is needed in the related statutes: 9.1-900, 9.1-902, 9.1-908 This brings into Concert and removes the ambiguity and absurd results currently in 9.1-910 P I appreciate the support and questions. Respectfully, Roy Tuthill – member of VaCure.org NoVa Chapter ATTACHMENT: Wording to consider for a clearer 9.1-910.

Hello, my name is Linda Tyson and I am asking, no pleading for you to strongly support the Second Look Bill. My nephew is currently being held in Green Rock DOC. He was coerced into a guilty plea after being threatened with life in prison when there was absolutely no evidence any crime was committed. I ask that you please support and pass the Second Look. There are those spending many years of their lives behind bars after wrongful convictions and I feel if my nephew would have had a paid attorney rather than a court appointed attorney he would not be spending 17 years behind bars for something he didn’t do. Thank you kindly for taking the time to read request. Linda Tyson

Hello my name is Tonya my fiancé is in prison with a 38 year sentence he has done 17 years with a lot more to go on a charge he got when he was just 21 he has been charge free for almost 8 years he has grown to know wrong from rite he has done classes and got his GED since been in please give us hope and say yes to the second look bill and help bring my fiancè home So he can be in his kids life’s and watch his grandbabys grow up Sincerely, a praying fiancé

Comments Document

Dear Honorable Delegates Please redress a crucial NEED that was addressed with SB492 in 2020 where it passed the Senate. In the House it Passed but a substitute removed the part that the courts says needs clarity. Repeat offenders and Tier III are dis-qualified from petitioning for name removal. All Tier I and II can petition when eligible. Item (ii) in 9.1-910 needs the “at liberty” clause verbatim from 9.1-902. Simply insert in line 12: 10 § 9.1-910. Removal of name and information from Registry. 11 A. Any person required to register, other than a person who has been convicted of any (i) Tier III 12 offense, (ii) two or more offenses for which registration is required, provided that person had been at liberty between such convictions or adjudications(iii) a violation of former § 18.2- 13 67.2:1, or (iv) murder, may either petition the circuit court in which he was convicted or the circuit court 14 in the jurisdiction where he then resides for removal of his name and all identifying information from the … To further consider improving the language of 9.1-910 see attachments: simplest, better and BEST. In my opinion. I appreciate your consideration in bringing this injustice to an end for 5,000 non-violent sex offenders that have done their time, complied 100% with the VSP re-registration process, paid restitution, NOT re-offended, etc. NOTE: This does NOT change the law but adds clarity as asked by the courts, Chief Judge and yes …. even some prosecutors. PLEASE ask anything is you do NOT 100% see the long due need for action. This deserves bi-partisan support. NO change is needed in the related statutes: 9.1-900, 9.1-902, 9.1-908 This brings into Concert and removes the ambiguity and absurd results currently in 9.1-910 Ps – I thank you for tolerating my emails and calls. I appreciate the support and questions. Respectfully, Roy Tuthill – member of VaCure.org NoVa Chapter ATTACHMENT: Wording to consider for a clearer 9.1-910.

Please support SB1504, which provides a standardized process for requesting removal from the Sex Offender Registry -- after a person has met ALL the requirements. This bill allows the Virginia State Police to handle removal requests in a carefully-developed, systematic and controlled manner. The current removal process burdens our Circuit Courts with random, idiosyncratic, individual petitions -- a waste of time and money.

I say pass the bill and use my tax dollars for other things the state needs. I keep seeing the how this bill is being compared to the bill that was passed back in 2021 in D.C. Both are in fact different pieces of legislation and commentators here should be ashamed trying to scare the pubic into thinking massive load of inmates will be released to flood and pillage the street of Virginia. It is NOT so. Many of these men and women have complete programs to allow them skills they need to be successful upon release. Why continue drain tax dollars from suffering middle class workers here in the state when all I hear is the problems with the budget? There is not enough money for officers or to pay for health care for aging inmates. Yet you would rather keep able body inmate detained at tax payers expense. In addition to the fact that Virginia has one of lowest recidivism rates in the country. These men and women are not being released from prison only given the opportunity to go before a judge to be accessed to see if they are no longer threat to the community.

Hello, my name is Linda Tyson and I am asking, no pleading for you to strongly support the Second Look Bill. My nephew is currently being held in Green Rock DOC. He was coerced into a guilty plea after being threatened with life in prison when there was absolutely no evidence any crime was committed. I ask that you please support and pass the Second Look. There are those spending many years of their lives behind bars after wrongful convictions and I feel if my nephew would have had a paid attorney rather than a court appointed attorney he would not be spending 17 years behind bars for something he didn’t do. Thank you kindly for taking the time to read request. Linda Tyson

Hello my name is Tonya my fiancé is in prison with a 38 year sentence he has done 17 years with a lot more to go on a charge he got when he was just 21 he has been charge free for almost 8 years he has grown to know wrong from rite he has done classes and got his GED since been in please give us hope and say yes to the second look bill and help bring my fiancè home So he can be in his kids life’s and watch his grandbabys grow up Sincerely, a praying fiancé