( – promoted by lowkell)
Richmond, VA – Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today improvements to Virginia’s rights restoration process, including removing drug offenses from the list of crimes that are subject to a waiting period before an individual can apply to have their rights restored and reducing that waiting period from five years to three years. The administration will also provide a definitive list
of offenses that require a waiting period.
“We are very happy to see Governor McAuliffe expand upon the automatic rights restoration process that was put in place last year,” stated Tram Nguyen, co-executive director of Virginia New Majority. “We believe that once an individual has served their time and fully paid their debt to society, they should have their civil rights restored without any additional burdens or punishments. The changes announced today are great steps forward to more efficiently re-enfranchise these individuals and sends a message that citizens who want a second chance are welcome as full members of our communities.”
While today’s announcement represents continued progress forward, Virginia still needs a more permanent solution. “We look forward to continuing to work with Governor McAuliffe and members of the General Assembly to achieve legislative action to automatically restore the civil rights for all citizens who have served their time,” added Nguyen.
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