157 Broken Hearts And Dashed Hopes At Augusta Correctional Center

Members of the Virginia Parole Board do not meet in person to do their work but render their decisions online, based on a review of data complied for each parole candidate and their reading of a summary of a personal interview done on site by someone hired by the Board. 

From January through August of this year a total of 157 such interviews were conducted at the nearby Augusta Correctional Center with eligible "old law" prisoners, men who were incarcerated prior to parole being abolished in Virginia in 1995. Many of the men felt their interviews went well, and large numbers of them had created impressive records of achievements in the 26 or more years they had spent behind bars, along with their demonstrating years of infraction-free behavior in prison. 

After decades behind bars, more and more of these men are eligible for geriatric release as well. Not only have they "aged out of crime," but many have worked hard at becoming truly changed men who deserve a second chance. And many of their counselors and members of the prison staff agree.

Yet as of this date none of the 157 have been granted release. None. Not one. 

This gives the remaining 24 men yet to be interviewed this year scant hope of getting a favorable decision. And the ACC prisoner with whom I've had the most correspondence has a wife and family of grown children to go home to, a congregation that has pledged its support, and had the assurance of employment upon his release. All to no avail. https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2021/08/another-heartbreaking-parole-denial.html

This is heartbreaking, and to me reflects a failure of the board to carry out its mission. I understand the political pressure they feel, and that of their jobs being dependent on the will of the governor who in turn is under pressure by tough-on-crime legislators who resist having anyone found guilty of a violent crime returned to society. As a result there have been a total of only 131 releases this year of the over 2000 men and women in state prisons who remain eligible.

As the name implies, the mission of our Department of Corrections is to correct, and not merely to punish. But if we fail to acknowledge and release truly deserving men and women in our prisons, aren't we admitting failure?

Here's a link to send messages to the Parole Board: https://vpb.virginia.gov/contact/