THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 23, 1994 TAG: 9408230012
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Five alarmed sheriffs, including Norfolk's sheriff, traveled to Richmond last week to warn state legislators that overcrowding in Virginia's local jails could spread disease, accelerate inmate violence and invite federal penalties.
None of the sheriffs' fears are fanciful. Gross overcrowding and attendant risks to the health and safety of deputies and inmates at Norfolk City Jail are courting a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit.
Sharp cutbacks in releases granted by Governor Allen's Parole Board have caused the backup of felons in local jails awaiting transfer to state correctional facilities to swell to 3,000. Speedy relief for the jails is imperative. Jail-house riots, no less than prison riots, can be costly in lives, treasure and reputations. Federal-court-ordered prisoners releases to end overcrowding imperil public safety.
John Jones, director of the Virginia Sheriffs Association, reports that the Parole Board's abrupt reductions in granting parole applications - from 40 percent last spring to 6 percent in July - ballooned the population in the state's 90 jails from 14,500 in May to almost 16,000.
Keeping violent criminals behind bars for long periods is what Virginians want, as the electorate indicated clearly by electing Republican Goerge Allen governor last November. Mr. Allen promised ``truth in sentencing'' and ``no parole.'' The Parole Board's tightening of inmate releases is in keeping with the Allen pledge. But, as Richmond Sheriff Michelle Mitchell told a General Assembly subcommittee studying the governor's proposed parole and sentencing reforms, ``The bottom line is, if you don't have people going out on parole, you don't have beds. . . . If you want to abolish parole, if you want to do these things, you have to make provisions. You just can't stop it . . . and expect the sheriffs to pick up the slack.''
Although designed to hold 729 inmates, Sheriff Mitchell's jail is crammed with 1,500. Norfolk's jail was designed for 579; it is holding nearly 1,400. The Justice Department wants the total cut to 750.
Justice investigated the Norfolk institution near the end of the 12-year reign of former Sheriff David K. Mapp Jr. It acted following abundant disclosures of inmate-on-inmate violence, neglect of inmates' medical needs, unsanitary conditions, understaffing and wretched recordkeeping. Justice's investigation confirmed that the Mapp jail was as great a chamber of horrors as had been suggested in reports by The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star.
Democrat Mapp's appallingly sloppy stewardship provoked Norfolk voters to boot him last year, installing Republican Robert McCabe in in his place. Mr. McCabe took over on New Year's Day. He has labored to much good effect to correct the jail's myriad deficiencies.
Mr. McCabe has expanded the number of deputies by 60, bringing the total to 340. He fired the medical service bequeathed him and hired Norfolk Community Hospital to tend to inmates' health. He has improved fire protection; created community-service-work opportunities for selected inmates; tightened security. . . .
Many more local-jail and state-prison cells are the prospect by the end of the '90s. A regional jail shared by Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News and Hampon will open three years hence. Meanwhile, Mr. McCabe is pursuing a proposal for a barge jail for the current jail's overflow; private investors would build and lease it to the city.
But Mr. McCabe and the four other sheriffs who pleaded with the legislative subcommittee need help now. The state Department of Corrections seems to be focusing on the problem, and the Parole Board expects to be a tad less stingy with parole.
Such reasonable interim remedies are in order. We hope they work. by CNB