You know who the best advocates for Virginians are? People who have led with their progressive values and committed their carers to their communities. State and local governments are better when these individuals are given a chance to serve.

Former Public Defender and President-Elect of the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers—Chris Leibig—has announced his run for Delegate for HD5. We love to see it! Voting for the Firehouse Primary in Alexandria takes place THIS Tuesday, Jan. 20! www.alxnow.com/2026/01/17/d...

Thank you, @hopeforvirginia.bsky.social and @donscott757.bsky.social for your kind words on this, @justicefwdva.bsky.social’s 9th Annual Lobby Day—and for you & your colleagues’ continued commitment to making Virginia’s criminal legal system more sensible, equitable, and humane. We had a great day!

Sen Chris Murphy wants to require warrants and ban masks as a requirement for more ICE funding. WHY ARE YOU GIVING THEM FUNDING HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING.

"Demand Flock out of Richmond" petition

I'm at Richmond Public Library's main branch, where a capacity crowd organized by @richmonddsa.bsky.social has assembled to hear @rpogge.bsky.social of @justicefwdva.bsky.social and other community members speak about the dangers of Flock Safety and other ALPRs.

This is the America I recognize because I’ve studied its past and survived its present as a Black person.

“Everything is so precarious that it feels like ICE could enter into any building, a home or a school, at any time. So families are choosing to stick together, and that means kids staying home from school."

Sadly this is correct, and no one likes it because people want to see punishment. The same process that created the problem cannot solve it. The only way is to remove power and money (which are the same basically).

I'm logging off because I CANNOT deal with the "training" thing. I just can't. No one learns anything. Take care of yourselves, everyone.

DHS tweeted this yesterday. Little more than 24 hours later, ICE agents just shot and killed a legal observer in Minneapolis.

they’re abducting our neighbors and putting them in concentration camps and they’ll shoot you in the fucking face if you don’t cheer them on while they’re doing it.

Delegate Charlie Schmidt.

Over the last 4 yrs, the GA passed some remarkable—bipartisan—CJR aimed to address basic unfairness, yet the Gov aligned himself with the harshest opponents of reform, vetoing most. Well, we have a new 4 yrs ahead of us! Our 2026 Legislative Priorities: justiceforwardva.com/blog/2025/12...

MASS SURVEILLANCE TEACH-IN: We're joining the Richmond DSA at RVA Public Library for a dynamic kickoff to help launch a citywide campaign against ALPR mass surveillance cameras. Come ready to learn, strategize, get organized. In-person & virtual registration here: actionnetwork.org/events/flock...

For those in #Virginia, @rpogge.bsky.social of @justicefwdva.bsky.social will be presenting a "Flock Mass Surveillance Teach-In" community event hosted by @richmonddsa.bsky.social at #Richmond Public Library on Sat Jan 10. 🗓️ Virtual attendance also available. 🧑‍💻 #deflock #surveillance #alpr #flock

“Since February, at least 23 jurisdictions fully ended, cancelled, or rejected Flock Safety ALPR programs (including Austin, Oak Park, Evanston, Hays County, San Marcos, Eugene, Springfield, and Denver).” www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...

there was a bill to forbid Virginia prosecutors from getting defendants to sign away their constitutional/Bill of Rights rights, giving them up for years. wild, right? youngkin vetoed the bill boltsmag.org/fourth-amend...

Shifting money from police and prisons to systems that meet people's needs are better for safety and, contrary to what you hear in the media, *one of the most popular policies* over decades of polling. Asking why this is hidden from us is important. equalityalec.substack.com/p/convention...

WaPo reports that ICE is planning 7 massive human warehouses holding 5,000 to 10,000 people. Recalls the acting ICE director 2015 statement that he wanted to see a “business”-oriented approach to deportations, “like [Amazon] Prime, but with human beings”. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

SCOOP: Flock left at least 60 of its AI-powered, people-tracking surveillance cameras exposed and livestreaming to the open internet. We tracked ourselves. The exposure highlights the power of these cameras and types of things they're tracking. Not just cars. www.404media.co/flock-expose...

I don’t mean to sound extreme, but I don’t think we should have torture camps for people with criminal records either.

After a local activist collected more than 400 signatures on a petition to Staunton city council asking to cancel its contract with Flock, Flock CEO Garrett Langley sent an unhinged, unsolicited email to council. The city then canceled the contract. augustafreepress.com/news/staunto...

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: This afternoon the city of Staunton, Virginia has decided to move forward to cancel the city’s contract with Flock Safety! Staunton is removing its ALPR mass surveillance cameras!!! 👋🏽 augustafreepress.com/news/staunto...

It was only a matter of time before a Virginia law enforcement officer abused the ALPR network. This one used it to track the movements of a fellow officer who was dating his ex-girlfriend. ALPRs make Virginians less safe. www.wric.com/news/local-n...

For the first time in Virginia history, people will be able to seal criminal convictions starting July 1, 2026. @vastatepolice.bsky.social released estimates of how many charges will be eligible for automatic sealing, and how many people can petition for relief. 1/5 vscc.virginia.gov/2025/Dec2VSC...

BIG & BREAKING: The City of Charlottesville, Virginia has announced they’ve made the decision to cease the use of Flock ALPR cameras and the mass surveillance technology will be removed!!! Justice forward! cvillerightnow.com/news/208802-...

In Virginia, politics never sleeps. With session quickly approaching, I had a chance to sit down with Rob Poggenklass of @justicefwdva.bsky.social Make sure to sign up for Lobby Day! youtu.be/mPfWTnvXzKU?...

Congratulations to Charlie Schmidt, our Democratic nominee for House District 77. I look forward to a collaborative effort among Democrats as our candidates for SD-15 and HD-77 face the General Election in January.

Charlie has won the nomination in the HD 77 fire house primary!

Bovino, the man overseeing mass deportations, publicly declared that we must all have our papers on us, at all times, or we could be stopped, harassed, kidnapped, and detained, as they did with the man in this case, who is a US citizen.

"A Suffolk man has been charged with multiple felonies after police say he admitted to destroying more than a dozen Flock Safety license-plate reader cameras across North Suffolk between April and October, according to a criminal complaint..."

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be immediately released from immigration detention.

ACTION ALERT: Unbelievably, Virginia lawmakers are considering bringing forth legislation to expand mass surveillance in 2026. Take an easy one click call to action to ensure no bill is presented to expand automatic license plate readers (ALPRs). Here: actionnetwork.org/letters/oppo...

Criminal justice reform (CJR) decriminalizes race, poverty, mental health, substance use, & disabilities. We’re matching $100 donations to celebrate #GivingTuesday! Support CJR and help prevent harm to people and communities. Please contribute here: donorbox.org/justiceforwa... @rpogge.bsky.social

“ICE is obtaining location information from the nationwide web of license plate readers. Researchers found ‘4,000 nation and statewide lookups by local and state police done either at the behest of the federal government or as an ‘informal’ favor to federal law enforcement.”

Yes, a grassroots movement can defeat mass surveillance. @justicefwdva.bsky.social is proud to be part of that movement. truthout.org/articles/a-v...

Arlington spends gobs of $/yr on fascism-enabling Flock cameras, at a time when ArlCo has no long term subst abuse treatment & an 8 wk wait for emergency shelter ACPD/Flock told the County Board chair the technology is totally risk-free & that was good enough for him arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

"Flock wants to place about a dozen cameras near the site of the future Norfolk casino. The City Council voted on Tuesday to allow it."

The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious, The Associated Press has found. https://to.pbs.org/486bTMT

AP finds a secretive Border Patrol intelligence program detains Americans for “suspicious” travel. Critics call it mass surveillance.

SUFFOLK: For the first time in VA’s history people will be able to seal their criminal convictions. Join Justice Forward Virginia Foundation, Nolef Turns Inc., and Virginia Organizing at Morgan Memorial Library—Nov. 24th at 6PM—for a criminal records expungement & sealing info session.

Senator @barbarafavola.bsky.social is an exemplary leader, who has dedicated her career in public service to improving lives across Virginia. Today, I was honored to share her strong legislative record as she was presented the William L. Winston Award by the Arlington County Bar Foundation.

I'm seeing people wonder why ICE is going after Charlotte. ICE has been at war with Charlotte's sheriff ever since he won in 2018. We'd covered this at Bolts back in the day; this quote is from that sheriff:

it’s funny how the most basic cop behavior is a scandal any time it’s actually caught on camera

"In a decisive rebuke of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an immigration judge on Wednesday ordered the agency to release a young immigrant held at a Virginia detention center — one day after the same court ordered the release of two brothers..."

Skamania County Sheriff Summer Scheyer announced this week that her office would discontinue using Flock Safety cameras over concerns that a recent Washington state court decision could make it easier to weaponize the data they collect.

For more on Rev. Woolf, who appears to have been arrested today: he published an editorial with @rns.org literally this week titled “Why clergy should risk assault to protest ICE” —> religionnews.com/2025/11/13/w...

Got lunch plans Friday? Join the Power Lunch Podcast to chat with our ED @rpogge.bsky.social, Michael Soyfer of IJ, & special guest @equalityalec.bsky.social! Friday’s episode focuses on the rise of mass surveillance and its growing threat to justice—12PM. Register: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...