I have a family member with 18 to 24 months left of a 20 years sentence. The struggle for the past few years has been getting VADOC to allow him proper workforce training in preparation for re-entry.  Getting what's needed has been an uphill battle.  By signing this petition, ALL long-term offenders and our communities will benefit.

There are several reasons why signing in support of this petition is important:

1. A long-term offender who leaves the Department of Corrections unprepared becomes another financial responsibility (DEBT) to the state of Virginia,

2.  Long-term offenders are normally subconsciously institutionalized (dependent on someone else caring for them) but workforce preparation will help condition them to be self-sufficient,

3.  When the Department of Corrections does not embrace the need for independence of offenders who no longer know the world as it was before going to prison, bringing them back into society puts the public in harm's way as it is most likely that they will return to a life of crime and/or aggressive drug abuse.