VA Governor Indicators Invoice Limiting Use of Canine to Assault State Prisoners

• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a legislation curbing using assault canine in state prisons.
• Lawmakers credited a Enterprise Insider investigation with shedding mild on the abusive apply.
• The invoice prohibits the deployment of attack-trained canine besides when “instantly needed.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday signed a invoice into legislation that severely restricts using attack-trained patrol canine in state prisons after the laws garnered widespread bipartisan help within the within the Virginia legislature. 

The transfer comes after a Enterprise Insider investigation final 12 months revealed that Virginia prisons use attack-trained canine far greater than every other state or commonwealth. Jail canine attacked 271 incarcerated individuals in Virginia between 2017 and 2022, BI beforehand reported. The state with the second most assaults — Arizona — recorded 15 incidents in the identical time interval.  

Each Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Virginia credited BI with bringing the abusive apply to mild.

The legislation goals to considerably curb the deployment of patrol canine in attacking prisoners besides when “instantly needed” to forestall the “risk of great bodily harm or loss of life” of prisoners or workers.

A warden or different supervisor should now grant permission for the canine for use to intervene in a struggle, and any struggle by which they’re used should now contain at the least three prisoners.

The modifications come after BI reported that patrol canine had been incessantly utilized in Virginia to assault males who would not depart their cells or who turned concerned in one-on-one altercations.

Seven different states additionally use canine to assault prisoners, resulting in devastating accidents in some instances, BI reported.

A minimum of 18 incarcerated males in Virginia have acquired emergency hospital look after accidents starting from muscle and tissue harm to septic infections on account of canine assaults since 2017. Others advised BI that they suffered psychological trauma following their assaults.

Youngkin signed the laws this week after it handed Virginia’s Home of Delegates with an 82-15 vote and acquired unanimous help within the state’s senate final month.

The invoice was one among 60 that Younkin took ultimate motion on this week, signing 36 into legislation, providing amendments to 2, and vetoing one other 22.

“Immediately, I am happy to signal bipartisan payments into legislation, together with laws that may support financial growth in Southwest Virginia Coal Nation, put cheap restrictions on using canines in corrections amenities, make it simpler for Virginians to prosecute violations of their protecting orders, and enhance the supply of companies to Virginians with growth disabilities by permitting them extra time to work with help coordinators to seek out the proper supplier,” Youngkin mentioned in a press launch.