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

DATE: SATURDAY, September 10, 1994                   TAG: 9409120062
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                 LENGTH: Short

GOVERNOR DEFENDS PAROLE PLAN

Gov. George Allen defended his criminal-justice reform plan Friday against critics who say it focuses too much on punishment and not enough on prevention.

``Incarceration is prevention,'' Allen told reporters after a news conference to promote law-enforcement support of his plan.

The governor said he supports the DARE program, in which police officers visit schools to urge children to stay away from drugs. He also said his plans to toughen academic requirements in schools, reform welfare and attract new industries will help prevent crime.

``The No. 1 concern, the most critical concern of the people of Virginia, is crime,'' Allen said.

``Our special session is devoted to focusing on the abolition of parole and bringing truthfulness in sentencing by being obviously much tougher on violent offenders. All of those other things are important and we can work on them in regular sessions,'' he said.

The General Assembly meets in special session Sept. 19 to take up Allen's plan to end parole for offenses committed after Dec. 31 and lengthen sentences for violent criminals.

Six of the seven members of the Board of Youth and Family Services resigned Thursday because of ``philosophical differences'' with Allen's approach to juvenile crime.

by CNB