Governor Terry McAuliffe signed Executive Order 44 today, establishing the Parole Review and Update Commission to evaluate policy, assess progress and public safety outcomes, and determine whether the intended goals of abolishing parole for felony offenders have been achieved.
“Twenty years after this Commonwealth banned parole, I believe it is appropriate to examine that policy to determine if it’s the best, most cost-effective way to keep people safe,” said Governor McAuliffe. “In Virginia we currently have 30,369 inmates incarcerated in state correctional facilities, at an average cost of $27,462 per inmate, per year. I believe we owe it to Virginians to consider new ideas for keeping people safe, rehabilitating offenders, and spending every single taxpayer dollar as wisely as possible.”
The Parole Review and Update Commission will consider evidence-based approaches to public safety and proper rehabilitation of offenders to prepare them to re-enter communities as productive citizens. Former Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley will chair the commission alongside Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran and Secretary of the Commonwealth Levar Stoney.
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