(SB218)

GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 218, which would prohibit the placement of any inmates accepted pursuant to the Interstate Corrections Compact at Red Onion State Prison until reauthorized to do so by the Virginia General Assembly.

The Interstate Corrections Compact is an agreement among 38 states and the District of Columbia that allows certain prison inmates to serve their time in a state other than the state of conviction. There are several reasons inmates may serve their sentence in another state, including to be closer to friends and family and to avoid potential security concerns that could arise as a result of gang affiliation or a high-profile crime. The Virginia Department of Corrections exercises discretion and careful consideration of an inmate's background and security risk when determining placements of out-of-state inmates transferring to Virginia.

Since taking office, my administration has worked diligently on reforms within the Department of Corrections, and I look forward to working with the patrons of Senate Bill 218 and other members of the General Assembly to further address the serious challenges in Virginia's maximum-security prisons. But restricting the placement of high-security inmates transferring to Virginia from out-of-state prisons does not further reforms or improve conditions, and could in fact risk heightening unsafe conditions in Virginia's correctional system.

My amendments would have provided additional time to work with legislators and proactively address any potential unintended consequences of this proposed restriction. Unfortunately, these amendments were rejected by the General Assembly.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.