Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed a bill into law on Monday that makes individuals sentenced to prison as juveniles eligible for parole after serving 20 years.
This comes after 22 other states and D.C. signed similar laws banning life without parole sentenced for individuals under 18.
HB35 passed through both chambers last week changing the landscape for criminal justice. The new law would not only grant eligibility for parole to those who were minors at the time of their crimes, but it will also ban life sentences without the possibility for parole for minors.
The impact of the bill will immediately affect over 700 people currently incarcerated who were sentenced for life.
