2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 276
Commending Meredith Farrar-Owens.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 10, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, March 12, 2026
WHEREAS, on August 31, 2025, Meredith Farrar-Owens retired as director of the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission after 35 years of outstanding contributions to the justice system in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, a graduate of the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University, Meredith Farrar-Owens has provided her diligence, work ethic, leadership, and expertise to the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission since its inception; and
WHEREAS, Meredith Farrar-Owens helped the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission fulfill its duties to develop, implement, and administer discretionary felony sentencing guidelines used in circuit courts throughout the Commonwealth, ensuring consistency, certainty, and fairness; and
WHEREAS, during her tenure with the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission, Meredith Farrar-Owens oversaw crucial research into criminal justice issues, such as offender risk assessment, recidivism, and violations of probation, and promoted education through training courses, seminars, and a variety of publications; and
WHEREAS, on many occasions, Meredith Farrar-Owens provided data to members of the General Assembly to assist with better policy and drafting of laws; and