Sample Letter To Virginia Legislators About Granting Geriatric and Regular Parole To Deserving Prisoners

Its mission is to "grant parole to those whose
release is compatible with public safety."

If you believe parole release should be granted to Virginia prisoners who have worked hard for years to earn it, I suggest you write your own letter or email to your legislators, but here's a sample letter by the Virginia chapter of Ignite Justice:

Dear Senator,

   This letter is in regards to the confirmation of the current parole board. Governor Youngkin vowed to slow parole rates for violent criminals which makes up nearly all of the parole docket. Looking at the current parole board’s body of work, it's clear they're committed to Youngkin's mission. In 2021 163 people were released on parole in Virginia compared to only 53 under this "interim" parole board in 2022. The coalition of prison justice reformers are arguing that prisoners who've waited 2 decades for justice from unfair trials are now being subjected to an unfair parole process.  

First, there's the question of what legal and ethical authority these nominees have, who've yet to be confirmed to grant or deny anyone parole. The law requires parole membership to come from 2 separate processes involving 2 separate branches of government. This so-called "interim" parole board has functioned as members for nearly a year without legislative confirmation and the coalition says that's unfair at best and unlawful at worst. 

Second, the coalition asserts that the parole board is biased because they were chosen specifically to reduce parole rates. 

Third, the coalition asserts that there's a structurally racist component to the make-up of the parole board. The last parole board was 80% African American and Youngkin replaced them with a parole board that's 80% white. The coalition argues that nearly 70% of the people going up for parole are African American and from areas in Virginia many of these people have never been. 

Lastly, the coalition asserts that the interim parole board is made of people who aren't from Virginia. Of the four interim members only Samuel Boone Jr is from Virginia. None of the others who are impacting the fate of citizens of this Commonwealth are from Virginia. 

For these reasons the coalition wants their confirmation hearings to be public and the following questions asked to the interim parole board members: 

1.  Why has the parole rate dropped so drastically under the interim PB from that of the previous PB?  

2.  Why are so many inmates being given more reasons for their parole denials by this interim PB than they were given under the previous PB? 

3.  Would you be okay with establishing objective standards for inmates to make parole? 

4.  How important is a PB members subjective opinion in deciding whether to grant parole? 

5.  Do you believe FISHBACK parole and Juvenile parole inmates who became eligible in 2020 should be reviewed differently considering their paroles are remedies for violations of their rights? 

6.  Are their criminal acts that have been committed that are so violent or gruesome in your mind there's no way you'd vote for the offender of the act to be paroled? 

7.  What biases do you consciously bring to the job and how do you mitigate those biases? 

8.  What are you looking for when reviewing someone's parole request? 

9.  Chairman Dotson has stated at several meetings that the PB is going to try and get a check list of requirements for inmates to make parole, what would be 3 requirements you'd present? 

10. Do you believe there should be more members on the PB? explain. 

 11. Would you like personally to meet the inmates requesting parole or do you prefer the  current system using interviewers not on the PB? explain.

We the people ask that these questions be asked of the parole board nominees during the confirmation hearing. We also ask that based on the previous results from last year that you vote to NOT confirm these nominees. 

Respectfully, a concerned Virginia Citizen