Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced an executive order Thursday aimed at reducing recidivism in Virginia.
“There is no single policy, no magic wand; it is in fact a comprehensive collection of a broad base of initiatives and partners,” said Youngkin, speaking at a news conference in Richmond. “No one can sit on the sidelines and act like one thing will solve this.”
Youngkin identified several factors — jobs, housing, health care, relationships, mental health and substance abuse treatment — that help those leaving prison rebuild their lives and prevent reoffending.
“(These are) support mechanisms that when they come together fundamentally change success,” he said. “Rather than waiting until someone fails, let’s go to work and make sure that they have access and support to these critical success factors.”
The governor explained his order formalizes work that started in April 2023 when he asked the state’s chief transformation officer to create a cross agency effort to improve reentry outcomes, such as employment referrals from Virginia Works and pre-release coordination with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
The order outlines more than a dozen objectives.
Many are intended to expand educational opportunities, including strategizing with Virginia’s Information Technology Agency to improve remote learning opportunities for those who are incarcerated and working with the State Council of Higher Education and the Virginia Community College System to increase the use of Pell Grants. The Pell Grant is a form of need-based federal financial aid that helps pay for various college costs.
Other objectives are aimed at improving employment support services. The executive order directs the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management to implement hiring practices in state government that are “friendly” to those transitioning back to community life and to encourage the business community into the “second chance hiring ecosystem.”
In a news release Thursday, Jason Miyares said such efforts were crucial for the entire community.
“Employment for returning citizens is more than just a second chance — it’s a cornerstone of public safety and community well-being,” Virginia’s attorney general said. “We must continue to improve the re-entry process, because effective re-entry is not just a matter of redemption — it’s essential in keeping Virginia safe and strong.”
The governor’s order additionally instructs the Virginia Department of Social Services to designate a statewide reentry coordinator to collaborate with social services to increase benefit enrollment success. It further directs his administration to form a task force, dubbed “Stand Tall, Stay Strong, Succeed Together,” comprised of legislators, law enforcement, advocacy groups and faith-based organizations that will meet every three months and review re-entry progress.
First Lady Suzanne Youngkin shared a passage from scripture.
“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison and for those who have been mistreated, know and feel as if you yourselves were suffering,” she said. “We are with you, we are for you, and we are so thrilled that we are all on this magical journey together.”
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, took to social media Thursday and called the initiative a “good first step.” But he criticized the governor for his record on restoring voting rights to people who have served time in prison.
“(This) ignores one strategy that has been studied and proven that reduces recidivism that HE rescinded — AUTOMATIC RESTORATION OF VOTING RIGHTS,” Surovell wrote on X.
Those with a felony conviction automatically lose the right to vote in Virginia. The only way to get it back is to receive approval from the governor. The three previous administrations pushed to streamline the process, but Youngkin came under fire last year for quietly implementing a new policy that considers each application individually on unspecified criteria.
This month, a federal court rejected a lawsuit that asserted the governor’s policy violated the First Amendment rights of George Hawkins, a man who was twice denied the restoration of his voting rights by Youngkin.
The lawsuit compared it to being improperly denied a permit for making a public speech. The court appeared critical of Youngkin’s policy, but found a permit for making a speech involves exercising an existing right, while Hawkins was seeking to reestablish a lost right, and subsequently threw the lawsuit out, The Washington Post reported.
Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com
