THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 15, 1994 TAG: 9409140001
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: ANOTHER VIEW
SOURCE: BY THOMAS W. MOSS JR.
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
We must have parole reform in Virginia. Democrats know that and Republicans know that.
Too many crimes are committed by violent criminals out on parole. Democrats know that and Republicans know that.
We must have truth in sentencing. Juries and citizens have a right to expect that criminals will serve the sentences they are given. Democrats know that and Republicans know that:
We must also have truth in financing. Democrats know that and Republicans know that.
Our state Constitution requires a balanced state budget. We all know that.
Virginia has long been committed to fighting crime and getting tough on criminals.
In recent years, the General Assembly has adopted tougher penalties for drug offenses, sex crimes, stalking, guns on school property and drunken driving, along with instant background checks and the one-gun-a-month-law that have blocked thousands of gun sales to convicted criminals and gunrunners. We have paved the way for privatization in building, operating and managing state prisons. Democrats and Republicans voted for these measures, and Democratic governors signed them.
This year the General Assembly passed and a Republican governor signed tougher laws on juvenile crime. We also adopted a comprehensive anti-crime package, including three-strikes-you're-out laws and a sex-offender registry recommended by Lt. Gov. Don Beyer.
Gov. Allen's campaign promise to abolish parole came at the right time. Virginians supported it and, building on the strong foundation of the anti-crime measures described above, we will continue to move toward a safer Virginia.
We must also face the fact that crime and violence are complex problems, and there will be no quick fixes and no cheap solutions, no matter how much we would pray for them. Crime rates have not gone down in any state where abolishing parole has been tried. This is a long-term problem that demands long-term solutions.
On Sept. 19 the General Assembly will meet in special session to consider a series of proposals, including parole reform, truth in sentencing, truth in financing. The legislative Parole and Sentencing Reform Commission led by Del. Jim Almand will present its recommendations; the governor's parole-reform commission will present its plan; and we expect others will make additional proposals.
Proponents of the governor's proposal say it will prevent 120,000 crimes in the next 10 years. What they do not say is that it will do nothing to reduce crime for the next five to seven years. It will not stop criminals now on the streets from committing crime. It will not keep criminals now in prison from being released early and committing more crimes. It will have no effect on violent-crime rates until the next century. Can Virginians wait?
As citizen legislators elected to represent the people in our communities, it is our job, our constitutional duty, to give appropriate, responsible consideration to all the issues that come before us. We must examine each proposal carefully and consider its effectiveness and its consequences. Will it do the job? How much will it cost? Does it go far enough? Does it produce results quickly enough?
To make responsible decisions on these difficult questions, we must hear from all interested citizens - not just in Richmond, but in our home districts. Once all the proposals are on the table, our citizens deserve the opportunity to talk to their own elected representatives about their concerns, to ask questions, and to give their opinions.
The genius of representative democracy is the system of checks and balances built into our three branches of government.
The Virginia Constitution gives the responsibility of setting criminal penalites and overseeing the financial security of the commonwealth to the people's elected representative in the legislative branch - the General Assembly. I can assure all Virginians that their legislature will take the fiscally conservative approach that has been the hallmark of Virginia government. It is our constitutional and moral responsibility to meet those criteria rather than some artificial political deadline.
If it is prudent, the General Assembly can ensure that the measures we adopt take immediate effect by including an emergency clause.
In the meantime, the state Parole Board controls who is released. The governor appointed those board members, and they serve at his pleasure. They will be as tough as he wants them to be. There is no need for the legislature to act with undue haste.
For the past few weeks we have seen a massive public-relations campaign, full of sound bites, sales pitches and photo opportunities. That's fine, every plan has its proponents, but governing is different from campaigning. Now it is time for the less glamorous and more serious job of making reform work and finding a way to pay for it.
We in the legislature will arrive in Richmond on Sept. 10 ready to roll up our sleeves and get down to work.Now is the time for the serious work of parole reform MEMO: Mr. Moss, speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, represents
Norfolk's 88th House District.Mr. Moss, speaker of the Virginia House of
Delegates, represents Norfolk's 88th House District.Mr. Moss, speaker of
the Virginia House of Delegates, represents Norfolk's 88th House
District.
KEYWORDS: PAROLE SYSTEM VIRGINIA REFORM by CNB