THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 12, 1994 TAG: 9409110004
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A4 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: Facing the Fear: Paying the Price
This series is a combined project of The Associated Press, the Daily
Press of Newport News, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Roanoke Times
& World-News, and The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star.
LENGTH: Short : 31 lines
While many violent crimes are committed by parolees, 60 percent of those who have been paroled do not wind up back in prison within three years of their release.
A recent state study showed that between 1990 and 1992, 4 percent of the state's murders, 2 percent of its rapes and 9 percent of its robberies were committed by people on discretionary parole.
Under the current Virginia sentencing and parole system - built of 40 laws, 123 legal opinions and decades of political tinkering - 15 ``time clerks'' and eight ``verifiers,'' laboring at Department of Corrections headquarters, determine when an inmate may be considered for parole.
Until recent years, potential parolees met face to face with parole board members. That no longer occurs.
KEYWORDS: PAROLE VIRGINIA SERIES by CNB