
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, August 12, 1993                   TAG: 9308120231
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

GILMORE DENIES RIVAL DOLAN'S ACCUSATION OF ISSUE `FLIP-FLOP'

Democratic attorney general candidate Bill Dolan on Wednesday accused his Republican opponent of taking "wildly inconsistent" positions on whether Virginia's parole system should be abolished.

Jim Gilmore, the GOP candidate, said Dolan took out of context remarks Gilmore made in his announcement speech in November and in campaign literature in January.

"There has been no flip-flop," he said.

Dolan said that in 1989 Gilmore supported Republican gubernatorial candidate Marshall Coleman's call to abolish parole, then adopted that position as part of his own 10-point plan early this month.

Sandwiched between those two developments, Dolan said, were two instances in which Gilmore denounced the idea of abolishing parole.

One of those occasions was the speech in which Gilmore announced him candidacy. The Henrico County prosecutor said: "Politicians who know nothing about law enforcement say, `Abolish parole completely.' "

Dolan said that comment was aimed at Gilmore's opponent for the GOP nomination, Del. Steven Agee, who also was criticized later in Gilmore campaign literature: "Agee will simply abolish parole altogether and allow convicted criminals back into our neighborhoods without any supervision at all."

Dolan said Gilmore has a "very inconsistent history of positions" on the parole issue.

"When it suits his political purpose in a thoughtless attack mode, Mr. Gilmore will say anything about parole," Dolan said.

But Gilmore said his position has been clear. While he disagrees with those who would abolish all aspects of parole, he favors abolishing parole as an "early escape" from prison, he said. Some form of community supervision after prisoners are set free is needed, he said.

"The key is that once you make a 10-year sentence mean 10 years, you still have to have some period of supervision after release," Gilmore said.

Dolan says the parole system should be studied, but that Virginia cannot afford the $4 billion it would cost if the system is abolished.

Gun control, including bans on some assault weapons and a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases, is the core of Dolan's anti-crime package.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB