Bill to have Virginia State Police lead in-custody death investigations reported to finance

The subcommittee reported House Bill 1508, which would require Virginia State Police to lead investigations into deaths of inmates or staff in Department of Corrections custody.

Sponsor Delegate Philips told the committee the bill aims to restore public confidence by ensuring investigations into in-custody deaths are led by an external, independent law-enforcement agency rather than carrying outsolely internal DOC investigations. The sponsor said the change mirrors investigative practices already used for regional jails and would not prevent DOC from conducting internal administrative inquiries or pursuing criminal matters separately. Advocates, including the state NAACP, testified in favor of increased transparency.

The committee agreed the bill should go to Senate Finance for fiscal and implementation review and reported the measure accordingly. Supporters argued the change would make findings more credible to families and staff; opponents were not recorded in the transcript.