(The Center Square) Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is concerned that some changes to his state’s sentencing program could jeopardize public safety. Currently, more than 7,000 “violent criminals” are eligible for reductions.
On July 1, inmates who have committed both violent and nonviolent crimes became eligible for significant reductions in their sentences for the nonviolent crimes after a provision included in the Youngkin administration’s last two-year budget expired.
Currently, they are eligible for “enhanced” sentence reductions, meaning they can receive up to 15 days of sentence reduction for every 30 days of good behavior for nonviolent crimes, but only up to 4.5 days for the same good behavior for violent crimes.
That’s how the law was written in 2020, but Miyares said Gov. Glenn Youngkin sought to keep it in place so that people who commit mixed crimes can’t serve shorter sentences for nonviolent crimes committed in the “same act or transaction.”
Miyares called the governor’s budget amendments a “serious public safety issue.” According to the Attorney General’s office, more than 7,600 offenders are currently eligible for sentence reductions, “approximately 99 percent” of whom are violent offenders.
The 2020 law establishing the enhanced sentence credits is retroactive to 1995, meaning hundreds of inmates were released the day the governor’s provisions expired.
“As of July 1, 2024, 445 inmates will be eligible for immediate release, including 16 inmates convicted of first-degree murder, 22 inmates convicted of rape or sexual assault, 46 inmates convicted of kidnapping, and 244 inmates convicted of robbery,” according to a press release from Miyares’ office.
“It’s well known that only 2-5 percent of criminals commit more than 50 percent of all crimes. Extending sentence reductions to inmates convicted of both violent and nonviolent crimes for the same act or transaction will likely benefit these repeat violent criminals,” Miyares said. “Virginians shouldn’t wait until a tragedy strikes to urge their elected officials to prioritize their safety. Good intentions don’t lead to good outcomes.”
The strengthened system was enacted under the Democratic Party’s three-way split-brain system as part of an effort to rehabilitate Virginia’s inmates. The Virginia Department of Corrections closed four prisons on July 1.
