Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed legislation Tuesday that would have barred the placement of out-of-state inmates at Red Onion State Prison in Wise County unless the General Assembly later reauthorized the practice.
The proposal came amid heightened scrutiny of conditions at the prison, a maximum-security facility in Southwest Virginia that has faced allegations of abuse, racism and prolonged isolation. The prison drew national attention after reports that several inmates burned themselves in protest of conditions at the facility.
An investigation by Virginia’s Office of the State Inspector General found many allegations of abuse and inhumane treatment to be unsubstantiated, while claims involving racism and retaliation were deemed inconclusive.
The bill would have continued allowing the Virginia Department of Corrections to accept and review applications under the Interstate Corrections Compact, an agreement among 38 states and Washington, D.C., that permits inmates to serve sentences outside their state of conviction. But the legislation specifically prohibited transferring those inmates to Red Onion State Prison.
In her veto statement, Spanberger said the compact serves several purposes, including helping inmates remain closer to family members and addressing security concerns tied to gang affiliations or high-profile crimes.
Spanberger said the Virginia Department of Corrections carefully evaluates inmates’ backgrounds and security risks before approving transfers into Virginia facilities.
“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,” Spanberger wrote.
Sen. Mike Jones, D-Chesterfield, the sponsor of the bill, expressed his disappointment in the veto, saying it did not disrupt the compact and was only preventing transfers to one location.
“We weren’t dismantling the compact. We weren’t making sweeping changes to the corrections system,” Jones said. “We were saying this one facility, with its documented problems and its documented history of retaliating against people who spoke up, should not also be the destination for out-of-state transfers.”
Jones also echoed the sentiment many other lawmakers have expressed: a lack of communication between the General Assembly and the governor during the legislative session.
“I am also frustrated that throughout the entire 60-day session, we heard nothing about concerns with this bill,” Jones continued. “I would have been amenable to amending this bill. Had the administration come to me and said they needed an exception carved out for Virginia residents housed in other states, we could have had that conversation.”
The governor said her administration has pursued reforms within the Department of Corrections and that she wanted to continue working with lawmakers on issues involving Virginia’s maximum-security prisons.
Spanberger also said she had proposed amendments that would have delayed implementation of the restrictions to allow additional discussions with legislators about possible unintended consequences.
The General Assembly rejected those amendments.