Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 27, 1995 TAG: 9508260001
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: G-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
For the Senate seat covering Roanoke and most of Roanoke County.
John Edwards (D)
"Funds should not be taken from public education or higher education for a big prison-building binge. Nor should we mortgage our future with heavy debt to build more prisons than we need. The current plans to expand the prison system are adequate. Overbuilding, like Texas did, will only drain our resources and waste taxpayer dollars. Preventive programs, like the community-oriented policing effort, DARE in our schools, and education programs, are also needed to fight crime. Prevention and punishment measures are both needed to fight crime, not just punishment alone."
State Sen. Brandon Bell (R)
"I supported the abolition of parole and the approach the governor put forward. He put forward a sensible plan that would have allowed voters to be involved. I felt the proposal he put forward covered the bases and made up for a lack of attention over the years, such as the overcrowding in Roanoke [at the city jail]. His proposal would have been a sensible approach to deal with the problem."
For the House of Delegates seat covering western Bedford County, most of Roanoke County except the southwest precincts, southern Botetourt County and Craig County.
Del. Richard Cranwell (D)
"If I continue to serve, I'm going to make sure every single solitary prison we need gets built. But I'm going to make sure we don't build one cell more than we need."
Trixie Averill (R)
"I'm squarely in favor of it. We have to build more prisons. The Democrats believe in this revolving-door policy where we let criminals in the front door and out the back door."
For the House of Delegates seat covering Floyd County, most of Franklin County, part of Pittsylvania County and the Moneta precinct in Bedford County.
Claude Whitehead (D)
"Yes, we must increase our prison capacity to meet future needs created by the abolition of parole (which I support) and the increase in crime. But the General Assembly has made provisions to do this sensibly. The legislature was clearly correct earlier this year when it insisted on protecting state funds for other goals such as education, economic development and transportation. It would be a sad commentary on our society if we were to mortgage our children's future for more prisons. Unfortunately, that's what the governor proposed."
Del. Allen Dudley (R)
"The Allen administration inherited a mess resulting from neglect of prison construction during the 1980s and early 1990s. While state spending tripled during this time, the government's primary responsibility, protecting citizens from crime and violence, suffered.
"During this year's General Assembly session, leaders of both political parties acknowledged the need for additional prison space, but the majority party leaders were unwilling to allow citizens the opportunity to vote, by referendum, on whether to approve the bonds necessary to relieve this problem. I agree with the governor's proposal because it is needed and because it allows the issue to be decided, by referendum, by the voters of this state."
For the state Senate seat covering Montgomery County, part of Pulaski County, most of Carroll County, Galax, Grayson County and Smyth County.
State Sen. Madison Marye (D)
"I do not believe we should build unnecessary prisons at the expense of education. Nonviolent prisoners that pose no threat to public safety (about 25 percent of the prison population) should be paroled to work-release programs. This would greatly reduce prison population and enable prisoners to be gainfully employed while paying their debt to society. This would reduce the immediate need for new prisons while freeing up funding for educational purposes."
Pat Cupp (R)
"I am not stating my position on the governor's totalprogram at this time. I do, however, support the governor in building an adequate prison system. Of major concern is the financing. How do we pay for new prisons, and how many do we need? I believe that if a person 'does the violent crime, that person should serve the full time.' We must have facilities to house violent criminals and protect society. Before my position is complete, I will study the details of the governor's plans, as well as review other options, and then reach my own conclusion on this important issue."
For the state Senate seat covering Bedford, Bedford County, Lynchburg and Amherst County.
Barbara Coleman (D)
"I think that the money could be better spent elsewhere. Building more prisons is not going to stop the crime rate. What would, I think, is to do more field-testing of solutions to what we know causes those crimes, such as we can identify potential drop-outs in school by third grade. If we know those factors, why isn't more research dedicated to pull those children back to the mainstream, rather than the outskirts and trenches of society?"
Del. Steve Newman (R)
"I was disappointed that the General Assembly decided to do the right thing by eliminating parole but the wrong thing by not building enough prisons to handle it. In my view, government has no higher responsibility than the protection of our people.
"I feel that the predator criminals have been laughing at our lenient parole system for years and now we have a chance to protect our citizens. I voted with Governor Allen [on prison building]."
For the House of Delegates seat covering Blacksburg, part of Christiansburg, northern Montgomery County and eastern Giles County.
Del. Jim Shuler (D)
"I favor strong deterrents against crime. There is no real guarantee of 'life and liberty' without personal security. At the same time, a prison in every county is not the answer. I oppose massive prison construction at the expense of education, transportation and other critical needs. I opposed the governor's $2 billion bond indebtedness plan for prisons. An annual review of the effectiveness of comprehensive anti-crime programs, prevention and incarceration rates, and demographic impacts should produce a more responsible and efficient, 'pay as we go' approach.
"In the last three years, the General Assembly has already appropriated more than $600 million for new prisons. The Allen administration has yet to build any prisons with these funds; so more and more debt is not the answer. An investment in education, and real deterrents will be the answer."
Larry Linkous (R)
"The only reason Governor Allen proposes to build prisons is to protect Virginians from violent criminals. What's more, his program is based on the best available projections of what facilities Virginia will need to house its felons.
"The only alternative to building prisons is to let the felons loose, and the evidence shows that many of Virginia's felons, if let loose, would return to violent crime. ... If someone can prove to me that Virginia doesn't need more prisons to protect its people from violent criminals, I'll stop supporting prison construction."
For the House of Delegates seat covering Southeast Roanoke, Northeast Roanoke, part of Northwest Roanoke and the Peters Creek Road section of Roanoke County.
Del. Vic Thomas (D)
"People that hurt people need to go into the system. [Prisons] are what we need to build, but what we need to concentrate on is prevention."
Jeff Artis (R)
"I'm all for it."
For the House of Delegates seat covering most of Northwest Roanoke, South Roanoke, Southwest Roanoke and the Cave Spring-Hunting Hills section of Roanoke County.
Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum (D)
"He's trying to build one [prison] on a hole in the ground at Red Onion which has soil problems to such a degree as to be unfit for habitation, and another one out in Southwest Virginia where the [cost] projection is off-base, not just a little bit, but by an astounding amount. That's not responsible planning. How on earth can you trust someone when the figures won't work or the engineering is suspect?"
Newell Falkinburg (R)
"There is great evidence that we do need more prison space. I'm completely in favor of it."
by CNB