Judge Endorses Virginia Training Center Agreement

See this article by that title from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.  It begins:

A federal judge said Friday that with some tweaks he will approve a $2 billion proposed settlement between Virginia and the U.S. Department of Justice over services for people with intellectual disabilities. 

Virginia plans to close four of its five training centers for the intellectually disabled and add an extra 4,170 funded waivers so that more individuals can receive services and to help move those in institutions back into communities. 

The agreement would bring Virginia into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and calls for a consent decree under which the state could be held in contempt of court if it fails to live up to the agreement. 

After a daylong hearing Friday, U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. said he found the proposal to be lawful, fair and equitable, consistent with public policy and not the product of collusion.