The bottom line: Rioting and violence get results. The carrot needs to be backed up with the stick.

By Ned Oliver, Virginia Mercury

Virginia lawmakers finalized a sprawling package of criminal justice reform bills this week as they gaveled out of a special legislative session that stretched nearly 12 weeks.

Prompted by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the widespread outrage that followed, the hundreds of pages of legislation they adopted reflect years of pent-up demand for change among Democrats, who hold majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly for the first time in more than two decades.

The bills they passed touch every aspect of the state’s criminal justice system, from traffic stops to prison sentences.

Here’s what they do and when they go into effect:

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