TO (Senate Judiciary Committee)

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In 2021, the General Assembly enacted a law that placed a five-year limit on terms of probation and limits on how much incarceration can be imposed for technical violations. HB 2013 would repeal that progress.

Until the legislature reformed these laws, probation violations accounted for approximately half of all new admissions to the DOC, with thousands committing a 'technical' violation. With no limits on the time that could be imposed for even the most minor 'technical' violation, missing just one appointment or testing positive once for marijuana could result in years of incarceration. Judges could also order people to be tethered to the court system through probation for their entire lives.

These policies put a massive strain on Virginia's budget, spending about $235 million per year. This does not even account for social costs: incarceration for technical probation violations undermines public safety by separating families, reducing the workforce, and failing to prevent future crimes. By capping probation length at five years, Virginia joined 46 other states in limiting terms of probation. Thirty states have limited the amount of incarceration that can be imposed for technical violations.

Please support the progress Virginia has made and Say NO to HB 2013.

Sincerely,