I have a major problem concerning the Department of Corrections. Recently Governor Kaine informed the state that the out of state inmates we were housing from Wyoming ere going to have to leave becasue of a pending lawsuit filed by Virginia Beach aganst the Department of Corrections. That has cost the department 18 million dollars in revenue since those inmates will not be housed in Virginia any more. The bigger problem is the fact when former Gov. George Allen passed abolished parole back in 1995 and incresed the time an inmate has to do from 65 percent to 85 percent, he had hopes of decreasing crime. As we can see, that is not happening. You have individuals sitting in city and regional jails for a year to two years after they are sentenced because the Cepartment of Corrections do not have room for them. I feel if we go back to 65 percent and parole, it would ease the burden a little. The taxpayers are the ones who are having to pay the take care of all these inmates anyway. If some of the inmates who have been in the system for a long begin to come home it would make room for the inmates in the city jails to move up to the prisons. Instead of creating this big jam we have now. Every year you hear of the bill going up but it is never passed. Another solution would be getting back to allowing inamtes to go home on work release and swapping a bed for a bed so to speak. Governor said he never knew that the city jails had a prblem with DOC until the lawsuit came about. I feel this situaiton definitely needs to be addressed. I believe it will wrok. Crime is not going to stop. That is a reality. But considering the fact that DOC is 18 million in the whole, we have to get creative and figure out somethings to help fix this problem we have. I am employed by the Department of Corrections so I know first hand the beneift of going back to 65 percent would be. That would be less inmates the state would have to take care of. I know those who may oppose what I am saying are concerned about public safety. A lot of the sentences this state hands down are way to tough, especially on first time offenders and women. Some crimes that a man may commit, he may be given probation or 2 years for, a woman first time offender may receive 5 to 10 years for the same crime. I would ask the Governor to really look at this situation very closely and all those who may vote on this. Have an open mind and consider all the facts.
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I feel that some criminals
Going back to 65 percent in the prison system
I couldn't agree with you more but for more reasons. First of all, as evidenced by Kaine's own admission of his ignorance about this Wyoming issue until the lawsuit was threatened, the Governor and other elected officials in VA (and other states) have NO CLUE what goes on inside the VA DOC. My husband is incarcerated in this system (first time offender) and it has been a rude awakening for me and my new circle of friends with loved ones also inside, about how this government Department "operates." The system is unfair and, in the rural areas in SW Virginia where many prisons are built for economic reasons, racist. The prison populations are primarily black and hispanic and the Corrections staff is predominently white. The DOC staff seems to operate "above the law" and is held accountable to NO ONE. Trust me, no one would respond to my cries for help until this year, an election year. And even then, the response has been extremely mediocre. VA prisons serve as warehouses for men and women for years and years. Not only is the 85% law unfair, but the parole system is basically non-existent. Those who do qualify for parole (those who were incarcerated in Virginia PRIOR to 1995 when parole was abolished in VA) rarely make parole due to the "serious nature of their crime." Well, the nature of their crime never changes so they are normally not released. They end up serving more time then they were given by the judge in the first place. Virginia ranks dead last in this country in their rate of parole releases (5%). The Parole Board is a joke. They don't interview anyone before making their 8-minute decisions. They review the paperwork in front of them with no input from the reformed inmate, their counselor, their families or their warden. How educated and informed a decision is that? Yet these people get 6 figure salaries. Prisons are hotbeds of anger and hopelessness for these and many other reasons, including a lack of consistent/widespread access to educational programs, vocational training, religious services, HEALTH CARE, affordable access to telephone service to maintain family contact and placement in prison facilities that are hours and miles away from the inmates' families. I travel 7.5 hours one way (over 400 miles) twice a month to see my husband. I must pay $4/gallon of gas and a hotel bill because I cannot drive 15 hours in a 24-hour period. For all that traveling and expense, I get 2 lousy hours of visitation with my husband! My husband could be located in a prison in the Richmond area allowing me to drive only 2-3 hours one way but that is not a consideration when placing inmates in the various facilities. Those of us who can afford to make these arduous trips (and there are not many families who can) do so in order to keep family ties strong and keep our loved ones as positive and hopeful as we possibly can under the circumstances. Yes, they committed crimes against society, but why are they not allowed a second chance at life as those who commit crimes but did not get caught? Who among us has never broken a law?? Why is our society sooo heartless and condemning against other human beings who have sinned? Unless it hits their family, they will never understand compassion and love for all of God's children and should be judged by Him alone. Thank you.