THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, September 15, 1994           TAG: 9409150480
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                           LENGTH: Short :   32 lines

VIRGINIA WANTS TO SHIP SOME OF ITS CONVICTS OUT OF STATE

Virginia plans to send about 800 convicts to privately run prisons in other states starting next year in an effort to relieve crowded local jails, state corrections chief Ronald Angelone said.

Angelone disclosed the plan Tuesday during a meeting of Senate Finance Committee panels that are examining the impact of Gov. George Allen's proposals to abolish parole and reform criminal sentencing. An opinion on the legality of the novel idea will be sought from the attorney general's office, Angelone told the lawmakers.

Angelone said the out-of-state transfer is ``an integral part of the governor's program to alleviate jail overcrowding'' and to fast-track prison construction to hold an inmate population that will more than double over the next 10 years.

The transfer program, Angelone said, will last three or four years. All the prisoners should be back in Virginia by early 1998.

Angelone told lawmakers that Virginia would pay operators of the out-of-state prisons about $16,000 a year for each inmate they house.

KEYWORDS: PRISONER INMATE VIRGINIA by CNB