Justice Forward Virginia hosts a variety of events aimed at educating and connecting with advocates as well as lobbying our state and local leaders to pursue bold, impactful, and evidence-informed reforms that will make the criminal justice system in Virginia more fair.
Join us for one of our upcoming events. When possible, after virtual events, we will post videos and materials on the event page.
In annual tradition, we’re hosting our Justice Reform “Prep Rally”—to educate and mobilize advocates for action–ahead of the 2024 Virginia General Assembly Legislative Session. Our Executive Director, Rob Poggenklass, will host many of our Justice Forward Virginia policy experts live on Facebook–Thursday, January 4th from 6:30—7:30pm to discuss this year’s legislative priorities.
We’re excited to be hosting our Justice Reform Lobby Day in Richmond, Virginia on Thursday, January 11, 2024, along with the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (VACDL) and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)! Please pre-register by Friday December 29, 2023. Please read more to link to the registration page.
Nolef Turns, Justice Forward Virginia, the Richmond Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney, and the Richmond Public Law Library present an informational workshop on Expungement in Virginia. Learn about updates to the law, taking effect July 1 of 2023, and updates that will come in 2025.
On Friday June 16, 2023 at 6:00 PM EDT, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers, advocates, and impacted people will come together at New River Community College in Richardson Auditorium in Rooker Hall–5251 State Rd 373, Dublin, Virginia–to discuss public safety and how Virginia’s criminal legal system is impacting Southwest Virginia communities and families. The event is sponsored by several Virginia organizations, American for Prosperity Virginia, Justice Forward Virginia, and SALT(Social Action Linking Together).
Join Justice Forward Virginia, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers on February 8, 2023 in Richmond, Virginia. We're excited to be back together and gathering in person in Richmond this year. We’ll be speaking with legislators about preserving evidence-informed criminal justice reforms that eliminated presumptions against bail, reformed our probation system, and limited pretextual policing, among other priorities.
The Virginia General Assembly General Session is upon us. And in the annual tradition, Justice Forward Virginia is hosting its Justice Reform “Prep Rally”—to educate and mobilize advocates for action. We’re excited to have Delegate Jay Jones and Senator Jennifer Boysko join our policy experts, Rob Poggenklass and Brad Haywood on Facebook LIVE–Wednesday, January 18th at 8:00 pm
January 13th, 2022 marks the start of the Virginia General Assembly General Session. In its annual tradition, Justice Forward will host its “Prep Rally”— to better inform and mobilize advocates to effectively lobby for meaningful criminal justice reform in 2022.
The 2022 Virginia General Assembly Session starts Wednesday January 12th, and in preparation we’ll be hosting our annual Lobby Day(s) virtually. Sign up to advocate with us.
Get the 2021 Legislative Lowdown straight from some our favorite lawmakers. Join Justice Forward Virginia, Senator Jennifer McClellan, Delegate Nancy Guy, and Delegate Jeff Bourne—Monday March 22nd, 2021 at 8PM on Facebook Live.
Join us Thursday, March 11 at 7pm for our post session roundup, “I Survived Crim Sub,” a discussion about session, success, and where we go next
Lobby Day for General Session looks a little different in 2021. Join criminal justice reform advocates across the Commonwealth, virtually, to meet with legislators on several select dates. Read more and sign up for virtual lobbying January 8th, 11th, and 12th! Meet with legislators ahead of the GA’s General Session kickoff to discuss the importance of our urgent criminal justice reform legislative priorities.
Join Justice Forward Virginia January 7th in preparation for the 2021 Legislative Session at our Justice Reform “Prep” Rally—you’ll hear from legislators and policy makers leading the criminal justice reform charge. During our hour long Facebook Live, the experts will roll out priority legislation being heard in the General Assembly and how advocates can support it most effectively.
Join FAMM, Americans for Prosperity VA, Ladies of Hope Ministries, and Justice Forward Virginia, December 8th 6:30-8pm, for a virtual town hall discussion on the need to repeal Virginia’s mandatory minimum sentences. Learn and effectively take action ahead of the 2021 legislative session. Hear from state policymakers, impacted families, and advocates working to advance reform.
Still have questions about police reform as we approach the special legislative session? Tune in on August 12 from 6:30-8:00pm when we're bringing back some of the most popular guests from our "Get Informed About Police Reform" explainer series!
On August 5, join Vernida R. Chaney (President, NoVa Black Attorneys Assoc.), national justice reform expert Premal Dharia (Defender Impact Initiative) and Justice Forward's own Andy Elders for an expert panel on why mandatory minimums don't work, and why they ought to be repealed -- ALL of them, not just those applicable to nonviolent offenses.
On July 28, join Professor Julie McConnell and public defenders Brad Lindsay and Ashley Shapiro for an expert panel on why school resource officers are so problematic, and why Virginia's assault on police statute is much more controversial than the name would imply.
Part III of Justice Forward Virginia’s “explainer” series on criminal justice issues is Civilian Oversight Done Right: Transforming Policing Through Robust Civilian Review. We've assembled almost ALL of the statewide experts on this subject: Fairfax NAACP, Legal Aid Justice Center, and the Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project. Don’t miss this one!
Join us on July 15 at 6:30 for Part II of our ongoing series when experienced Virginia criminal defense attorneys will drill down on pretextual policing, and will also discuss some of the popular police reforms that do NOT work.
With police reform in the spotlight, there have been dozens of criminal justice reform events recently. Unfortunately, too few of them help laypeople understand the issues the way advocates do. We’re here to help! Join JFV, Sen. Scott Surovell and Del. Don Scott on July 7.
Leaders in civil rights and criminal justice reform joined over 80 attendees, supporting JFV’s efforts to expand, unify and mobilize a community of advocates and inspire them to action.
On January 18, 2019, fifty volunteer lobbyists braved the cold, wintry weather and a very early start to push for justice reform in the offices of the Virginia General Assembly.
Join Justice Forward Virginia, NACDL, and VACDL for our Justice Reform Lobby Day and Defenders’ Day of Action on January 18, 2019 at the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, VA.
Criminal law can be complicated for non-lawyers, and opponents of reform are attempting to make meaningless “reforms” look like actual progress. They’re hoping that voters won’t be able to tell the difference. We’re betting that they will—because we are committed to making it so.
Do you believe a fair trial is impossible without access to police reports? Should persons charged with crimes know whose testimony will be used to try to convict them? If you answered “yes” to both of those questions, now is the time to make your voice heard.
On Oct. 10, JFV co-hosted Activism for Busy People, a training event for persons interested in lobbying the Virginia legislature for justice reform.
Don't you want to be one of the passionate few who help the most disadvantaged Virginians finally receive Due Process? Then you need training!
Arcane criminal discovery rules are why prosecutors can use the simple matter of truth, and their power over it, as leverage to coerce defendants, influence guilty pleas and secure unfair prison sentences. The Commonwealth should not be permitted to play games with the truth, and it’s high time we do something about it.
On July 20, 2017, Justice Forward Virginia hosted an event, co-sponsored by the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, to discuss justice reform and start planning future action on a variety of critical topics.
