New Bill Aims to Credit Incarcerated Work Towards Court Fines in Virginia
In a move that could provide significant relief for incarcerated individuals in Virginia, a bill allowing work performed while incarcerated to count towards court fines and costs is advancing to the state Senate, with bipartisan backing.
House Bill 16, introduced by Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, recognizes work done by individuals confined in local, regional, or state correctional facilities. The bill stipulates that work completed before or on July 1, 2023, and compensated below the Virginia minimum wage, should be credited at the community service work rate, minus any wages received.
Prior to this bill, only community service done outside of incarceration could be applied towards court fees, as noted by Price during her presentation of the measure.
The Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) has reported an initial requirement of $151,627 in general funds to manage the proposal, as outlined in the fiscal impact statement. This funding would cover the wages for employees tasked with documentation of claims, with costs expected to decrease as eligible individuals are accounted for, according to the VDOC.
House Bill 16 passed the House with a 72-25 vote on February 6. The bill had previously been passed by the General Assembly in 2024 but was vetoed by former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
“The bill does not change any of the functions that are underway,” Price clarified. “It just would require tracking of the hours of the work performed so that courts would know what of the fines or costs to discharge.”
At a public testimony, Maisie Osteen, senior supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Justice Center, shared the experience of a client who received no credit for his work while incarcerated. “His work included building furniture that’s used in the General Assembly, that’s used in our institutions, that’s used in police K-9 vehicles,” she said. “He left after 10 years and only paid off 6% of his court debt, despite working hundreds of hours on behalf of the people of Virginia.”
The proposed legislation would enable those formerly incarcerated to receive credit for work performed during their imprisonment, potentially easing their financial burden.
Jennifer Dalton, founder and director of the Virginia Justice Alliance, remarked that the bill could help reduce incarceration rates. She emphasized the financial strain on families of incarcerated individuals, stating, “The cost continues when they come home. The families end up paying for all of that stuff. I paid my ex-fiance’s fines and costs, so we didn’t have to worry about that when he got home.”
According to the Prison Policy Initiative, inmates in Virginia earn as little as 55 cents per hour for their labor.
Kami Blatt, a policy analyst with The Commonwealth Institute, acknowledged the bill’s potential to recognize the value of incarcerated work. “This reduces uncollectable debt and improves repayment and reentry outcomes,” Blatt expressed to the House subcommittee panel.
Dalton also noted the psychological benefits for inmates, suggesting that offering credit for work completed can provide hope and encourage more positive behavior during incarceration.
The VDOC has not commented on the pending legislation.
Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Communication. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.
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