"Despite Halt in Bed Rentals, Va. Strains to House Inmates", This was  the Washington Past headlines on Sunday June 22, 2008.A recent report to the Secretary of Public Safety projected that Virginia will add about 1000 prisoners a year, resulting in an inmate population of 44,700 by 2013. Each new prison would cost an estimated $100 million to build, and $25 million a year to operate. That's a projection of what's going to be REQUIRED. We don't have a choice, said Delegate David B. Albo (R-Fairfax), Chairman of the Virginia State Crime Commission. "It's the way it is." If the truth was that simple there wouldn't be a problem. But I'm here to tell you there is a big problem, when projections are made to spend millions of dollars in this sluggish economy on new prisons. When in fact there has been an unwarranted intrusion in the judicial sentencing authority since 1995. In 1995, the Virginia code for parole changed and parole was not offered to offenders sentenced to prison thereafter. At that point a new problem came to life with the Va. Parole Board costing taxpayers millions with their own re-sentencing process. After 1995 anyone sentenced to prison had to do 85 percent of their time and didn't have to be reviewed by the parole board for release. The problem; there were men and women still in prison that did have to answer to the parole board and request release. The problem with projection of spending millions on new prisons is in direct regards to the unlawful rogue policy of the Va. Parole Board. They have been arbitrary and capricious while in violation of constitutional afforded due process for prisoners, just to maintain hundred thousand dollar salaries . (see Parole Board Mismanagement)

When the General Assembly wrote the sentencing guidelines for the courts to follow as well as the guidelines for the parole board procedures, their intention was clear, when a person earns their eligibility they would be released through the parole process to go home, pay fines, pay taxes, attend programs, not become a burden on the Commonwealth.

There are around ten thousand prisoners in Virginia under guidelines pre 1995. Five thousand of those are eligible for parole but cannot get a fair parole hearing. Therefore, the cost to taxpayers for the five thousand is $115 million a year. Of the ten thousand, there are a few thousand back in prison for technical violations. Be mindful that 70 percent of those are because of unclean urine samples. Instead of a drug program for some treatment "No, No, back to prison!" costing taxpayers millions. All just to maintain their own job security.

The numbers don't lie, in 1993 the parole rate was 40%. When Governor Allen abolished parole the parole board looked towards their own future and jobs and are denying parole to those still eligible only for their own job security. As you can see, the rate plummeted from 1994 to 2002, and is now 5% in 2008. 

The motives are clear, the question is are you going to continue to pay their salaries and the cost of incarceration people who do not belong in prison anymore so they can keep their jobs? (see HB703/H B3129 at the legislative section and ask yourself why this bill failed?

We've posted on this site a page with the Annual Cost to house inmates nationwide and in Virginia. (see Prisoner Cost Annually)