In meeting with community members and activist groups, I’ve heard concerns about the presence of police in our schools and an unfair school system that perpetuates the school to prison pipeline. I want to assure you that I’m committed to presenting legislation that dismantles the discriminatory policies that push children out of our schools and into prisons as well as addressing the unnecessary that fear police create for students and families.

 

Friends,

In recent weeks, my staff and I have walked alongside parents, children, and a diverse coalition of community members showing the power of nonviolent protest. We’ve stood side by side asking for nothing more than justice, accountability, and restraint on abusive actions committed by those who are entrusted with public protection.

My team and I have also met with organizations such as the ACLU, the Justice & Reform Project, the Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project (RTAP), and several community leaders to discuss the legislative steps we must take in order to reform policing and criminal justice across the Commonwealth.

In our meetings, I’ve heard concerns about the presence of police in our schools and an unfair school system that perpetuates the school-to-prison pipeline. I want to assure you that I’m committed to presenting legislation that dismantles the discriminatory policies that push children out of our schools and into the justice system.

While a major focus of our legislation will be on creating schools that are supportive and free from trauma, I also want to provide some insight into a few other legislative needs that have been a part of our conversations:

  • The need to establish civilian review boards. I will introduce legislation allowing localities to establish meaningful civilian review boards, with subpoena power and the authority to act on their findings if they determine that officers have abused their power.
     
  • Responding appropriately towards those struggling with mental health challenges. I am committed to supporting legislation that enacts the Marcus Alert so that no more Virginia families have to grieve the tragic loss, at the hands of police officers, of a loved one struggling with mental health challenges.
     
  • The need to address the equipment, training, and tactics of law enforcement. I’ve called for a ban on chokeholds, for the demilitarization of police, and for increased accountability and transparency of abuses within our law enforcement.

Though the General Assembly session concluded in March, we will hold a special session in August to address these vital concerns. Additionally, I will be bringing more criminal justice and police reform measures during the 2021 General Assembly. These legislative actions will continue to be built upon the meaningful conversations my staff and I are having with a broad number of organizations and individuals.

During these trying times, I want to commend those who have participated in the marches and rallies for their commitment to justice. These groups invariably include members of the press, who are out on the front lines reporting what is going on in our communities.

I also call upon our law enforcement officials to protect those essential freedoms that are the very basis of our democracy: freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of expression. These fundamental rights secure our communities, guaranteeing that citizens have the opportunity to engage in political speech without fear of government action.

In his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called us all to action when he called us to nonviolent civil protest:

“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”

 

Thank you,

-- Ghazala

 


 

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Senator Ghazala Hashmi was elected to represent Virginia Senate District 10 in 2019. She has led efforts in the General Assembly to support education, protect healthcare and the environment, and prevent gun violence. Senator Hashmi is committed to ensuring Virginia's government works for everyone.

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