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Its mission is to "grant parole to those whose
release is compatible with public safety." |
Will The Governor's 'Second Chance Month' Boost Parole Release Rates?
During the month of May, the Governor said members of his administration would "facilitate conversations and participate in events focused on criminal justice reform and reentry programming."
A number of such events featuring Secretary of Public Safety Moran and Virginia Parole Board Chair Adrianne Bennett have been held in various places throughout the Commonwealth, but it remains to be seen whether this will actually affect parole release numbers.
Only 17 prisoners were granted parole in April. Four of these were geriatric releases.
Let's hope Governor Northam is able to effect the kind of change consistent with his statement that
"Redemption is a fundamental American value, and I believe that returning citizens who have repaid their debt to society deserve a second chance."
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Highly Deserving Blind Inmate Is Denied Parole--Again
By now I should be used to hearing news of deserving prisoners being turned down for parole, but the standard rejection letter blind poet and author Minor Junior Smith sent me recently was especially heartbreaking. At 72, and incarcerated for 47 years, Mr. Smith, far from being a threat to society, could be a tax-paying asset to any community, in spite of his age.
The letter, identical to all of the dozens I've seen before, states in part,
"The Board, in determining whether you should be released on parole, considered a number of factors, including, but not limited to, whether your release would be compatible with public safety and the mutual interests of society and you; whether your character, conduct, vocational training and other developmental activities during your incarceration reflect the probability that you will lead a law-abiding life in the community and live up to all conditions of parole, if released...
"...In accordance with Virginia Code Section 53:1-155 and in consideration of the factors listed above and the information available to us, The Virginia Parole Board's decision to not grant parole on February 13, 2019, is based primarily on the following reasons:
• Release at this time would diminish seriousness of crime
• Crimes committed
• Serious nature and circumstances of your offense(s)
• History of violence
While this may not be the answer you hoped for, please continue your hard work...etc., etc."
As aways, there is no recognition given to the fact that Mr. Smith, in this case, is blind, 1) has already served 47 years of hard time, 2) is legally eligible for both geriatric release and release on the basis of an exemplary record of behavior while in prison, 3) has been an exceptionally hard worker during that entire time, 4) was recommended by his counselor and other prison personnel for release, and 5) has gone out of his way to help others, especially other visually impaired inmates.
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Parolees
Under Parish Sponsorship ( P.U.P.S.) Project Launched
Some
inmates at Buckingham Correctional Center have designed a great
initiative for having congregations advocate for, and sponsor,
parole-deserving individuals. Congregations would “adopt” a
person and help them find housing, employment and other services.
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Virginia Correctional Enterprise (VCE) Shops At Two Locations Permanently Close
The pay for prison labor is dismally low in VCE shops, but it is still slightly better than other jobs in a DOC institution, and there is no shortage of people eager to apply for them. But now prisoners at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women (VCCW) (Goochland) and at the Coffeewood Correctional Center will no longer have that option.
Meanwhile, the pay for these and the DOC jobs has not been increased since the early 90's, and many workers endure stifling non-air conditioned environments in the summer. They also do not earn certifications for any of the skills gained at such jobs.
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The 13th Amendment Legalizes Slave Labor For 1.5 Million Americans
Section 1 of the Thirteenth Amendment, ratified to end slavery, states: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
In a nation that promises "liberty and justice for all", this exception clause needs to be reexamined.
I'm certainly not saying that having prisoners engage in some kind of meaningful work is a bad thing. But if incarceration is to prepare people to re-enter society and as productive citizens, we need to have what happens inside our jails and prisons represent something of the way the real world works. And in the real world people are given reasonable compensation for their labor.
A typical Virginia inmate employed in food services may work long hours in a hot kitchen and be paid .27 to .45 cents an hour. The same pay rate applies to janitorial, laundry and other in house employment.
Inmates working in Virginia Correctional Enterprises (VCE) programs are paid slightly more, from .55 to .80 per hour, making things like license plates, furniture, prison garb and other goods or services for state and other governmental entities.
A smaller number of prisoners get to work in programs known as "correctional industries", working for private manufacturing or service enterprises that use prison labor. They are paid minimum or prevailing wages, but since their wages are garnished to pay court costs, restitution, child support, and a portion of prison housing costs, their actual take home pay may be under 20% of what they are actually earning.
Most inmates are willing to work even for a pittance, however, as a relief from the boredom of being confined and to earn money they can use for overpriced canteen items, anything from snacks (to augment much complained about prison food) to underwear and personal hygiene items. And while commissary prices keep escalating, prison wages have not been raised for years.
What if we could agree on the following?
1. It is in everyone's best interest to provide meaningful and well supervised work opportunities for as many detained people as possible.
2. Wages should be in line with local standards, with a reasonable amount withheld for room and board and other costs, and with some money kept in reserve for the worker's use upon release and/or used to help support his or her family.
3. While the jail or prison should be able to recover some of the administrative and other costs of a work program, none should profit from cheap inmate labor.
4. All earnings should be subject to social security withholding, so that upon release, inmates and their families will not be without benefits.
5. For every day in which an inmate demonstrates respectful and responsible behavior he or she should be offered some reduced time behind bars.
If our criminal justice system is to help people establish responsible work habits and be productive citizens, meaningful and reasonably compensated work needs to be a significant part of the equation.
(from October 2016 Harvspot blog)
