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Monthly Virginia Parole Board Decisions July 2005 – 2011

December 17th, 2011 |

The current update includes October 2011 data. Sixteen prisoners were granted parole in October or a grant rate of 5.4 per cent, out of a total of 296 decisions. The Virginia Parole Board Monthly Decisions can be accessed at www.vadoc.vpb. As always the numbers have been carefully checked.

The overall grant rate for 2011 continues at barely one-half the rate of 2010 and likely at the lowest levels ever. Parole decisions in 2012 appear to be consistent with an apparent policy shift to an extremely conservative set of standards for parole well below what has long been considered one of the nation’s most conservative parole boards. A conservative set of parole guidelines can politically minimize any embarrassment or risks of a parolee being released and then committing another crime while on parole. However current parole board actions raise considerations regarding taxpayer costs of continuing to extend sentences of predominantly older male prisoners in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s while also delaying the opportunity for the return of offenders to productive roles in society. VA CURE estimates 70% of “old law” prisoners are racial and ethnic minorities,

Over eighty per cent of parole revocations in September 2011 were black offenders. Ten black prisoners were granted parole while parole was not granted to at least 188 black offenders (see footnote). Blacks comprise less than 20% of the population of Virginia according to recent census information and were 67 per cent of September 2011 parole board decisions.

In October 2011 parole Board decisions involved 21 persons 36 years old or less. Prisoners sentenced to felony offenses committed on/after January 1, 1995, are not eligible for parole except for seldom used geriatric exceptions. Juveniles under age 21 committing felonies after January 1, 1995 may be eligible for parole and also can have their parole revoked due to violations of parole guidelines after their release.

Virginia Parole Board Decisions: 2005 to 2011

Month/Year	Granted Parole		Not Granted	Revoked	Youthful Offender* Parole Decisions
	Number	Percent	Number	Number	Number
Total Jul-Dec 2005	174	7%	2149	217
Total 2006	164	4%	4186	660
Total 2007	218	5%	4402	653	420**
Total 2008	276	6%	4322	523	453***
Total 2009	380	9%	3972	377	426****
2010	Number	Percent	Number	Number	Age 35 or less*
January	21	7%	287	8	44
February	37	7%	466	13	47
March	19	13%	131	15	23
April	16	6%	257	22	30
May	37	6%	563	30	51
June	31	10%	275	34	50
July	16	8%	177	26	31
August	40	6%	666	25	53
September	23	11%	193	32	49
October	12	8%	146	27	23
November	22	5%	462	19	37
December	19	8%	209	35	29
Total 2010	293	7%	3832	286	467
2011	Number	Percent	Number	Number	Age 36 or less*
January	18	6%	262	47	47
February	7	2%	313	17	39
March	9	2%	404	51	45
April	14	3%	426	18	39
May	12	4%	317	19	34
June	2	1%	159	37	13
July	13	3%	374	28	51
August	16	4%	424	16	96
September	9	7%	126	40	18
October	16	5%	280	21	19
Total to date	116	4%	3085	294	401

Black Prisoners as a Percentage of Parole Board Decisions

Month/Year	Granted	Not Granted	Revoked
2010	Percent	Percent	Percent
August	58%	54%	88%
September	57%	63%	66%
October	75%	69%	64%
November	68%	69%	63%
December	58%	59%	66%
2011	Percent	Percent	Percent
January	67%	65%	72%
February	75%	65%	38%
March	44%	73%	69%
April	5%	69%	83%
May	73%	61%	68%
June	5%	60%	62%
July	77%	66%	82%
August	69%	66%	75%
September	78%	62%	70%
October	62%	68%	81%